The massive blast that hit Beirut on Aug. 4 destroyed LGBT+ drop-in centers and gay-friendly bars and cafes that were a vital lifeline for an already vulnerable community now in urgent need of help. Lebanon’s main LGBT+ group Helem, which provided mental health and emergency support for victims of violence, arrest or homelessness, said it lost both its centers in the explosion and was now scrambling to provide desperately needed assistance.
LGBT+ victims have been hit particularly hard by the disaster because many cannot return to their families and face being victimized on the streets, said Helem’s executive director Tarek Zeidan. “There will be incidents of domestic violence for people that were forced to live with family or live in places where they are not safe because they identify as LGBTIQ,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “We’re talking about a community that’s already vulnerable to suicide, depression and mental health concerns on a good day... and now this. It’s almost too much to bear.”
At least 163 people were killed and thousands were injured in the explosion, which tore the facades off buildings, overturned cars and left tens of thousands of people homeless. On Monday the government resigned after mass protests by angry Lebanese, many of whom blame authorities for the explosion.
Photo: AFP 照片：法新社
Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael, two of the neighborhoods most affected by the blast, are home to bars, cafes and a thriving cultural scene that has created a crucial base for the LGBT+ community. Helem’s community center meanwhile offered everything from book groups and film nights to discussions on labor rights.
“All of those spaces are gone,” said Daniel Nasr, a Lebanese expat in Britain who set up the Rebuilding Beirut with Pride fundraiser to help LGBT+ victims of the blast. “[The] safe spaces that the community has spent so many years creating physically turned to rubble.”
The strong family ties that characterize Middle Eastern culture can bring comfort during a crisis, but are often missing within the LGBT+ community, making gay-friendly establishments a crucial source of support, Nasr said.
Lebanon is seen as a bastion of relative freedom in the largely conservative Middle East, but many are reluctant to extend rights to the LGBT+ community. By law “sexual intercourse against nature” — often interpreted by authorities as gay sex — remains illegal with a possible jail term of one year, although there have been cases in which judges have refused to enforce the law.
No one in Lebanon’s caretaker government was available for comment.
OutRight Action International, an LGBT+ non-profit group that operates globally, is also fundraising to help Helem provide assistance for LGBT+ people, including safe accommodation. “It’s about genuinely building a network of mutual support,” Nasr said.
(Thomson Reuters Foundation)
八月四日重創貝魯特的巨大爆炸，摧毀非預約制的性少數社群諮詢中心，以及同志友善的酒吧和咖啡廳。這些場所都曾是非常重要的生命線，當地原本就相當弱勢的同志社群現在更是雪上加霜、亟需幫助。黎巴嫩主要的性少數權益團體「黎巴嫩 LGBT保護組織」（Helem，在阿拉伯語有「夢想」之意），多年來為暴力事件、遭到逮捕或無家可歸的受害者提供心理健康和緊急支援。該組織表示，這場爆炸摧毀他們的兩座服務中心，現在組織兵荒馬亂，忙於提供迫切需要的協助。
該組織的執行總監塔瑞克‧查伊丹指出，這場災難對同志社群造成的傷害特別大，因為他們無法回歸原生家庭，並且面臨當街受到迫害的情況。他向湯森路透基金會表示：「那些被迫和家人共同生活，或是因為性少數身分認同而缺乏居住安全的人們，未來恐怕會發生家暴事件。」他說：「我們現在談論的這個社群，在情況好的時候就已經容易出現自殺、憂鬱症，以及心理健康問題??現在再加上這件事。這簡直令人難以承受。」
這起爆炸造成至少一百六十三名民眾喪生，數千人受傷，建築外牆破碎，車輛紛紛翻覆，數萬人無家可歸。氣憤的黎巴嫩民眾群起上街抗議，其中許多人將爆炸歸咎於當局，黎巴嫩內閣遂於週一總辭。
在受災最嚴重的街區中，傑美茲和瑪爾米海爾兩區是許多酒吧和咖啡廳的聚集地，也孕育出欣欣向榮的文化場景，為當地同志社群建立相當重要的據點。在此同時，Helem的社區中心也提供各種協助，從讀書會和電影欣賞到研討勞工權益。
「那些空間現在都沒了。」移居英國的黎巴嫩人丹尼爾‧納斯爾這麼說。納斯爾發起了名為「以驕傲重建貝魯特」的募款活動，以幫助爆炸事件中的性少數受害者。他說：「這些安全的空間，是社群花了那麼多年才創造出來的，現在全部化成瓦礫堆。」
納斯爾指出，強健的家庭羈絆是中東文化的特徵，在危機中可以帶來慰藉，然而這在同志社群中經常是付之闕如的，同志友善場所因此成為支持的重要來源。
在很大程度上仍相當保守的中東地區，黎巴嫩被視為擁有相對自由的堡壘，但是許多人並不願將權益擴及至同志社群。在法律上，「違反自然的性交」──當局經常將此詮釋為同志性行為──目前仍是非法的，違法者可能面臨長達一年的刑期，不過也有法官在某些判例中拒絕行使這條法律。
目前黎巴嫩的看守政府尚未對此發表評論。
國際性少數人權倡議非營利組織「國際立即行動」，目前也在募款，以幫助Helem繼續為性少數群體提供協助，包括安全的住所。納斯爾表示：「這是在協助他們真正建立起一個相互支持的網絡。」
（台北時報章厚明編譯）
Have you ever dreamed of using an entire city as your training ground, effortlessly moving across walls, buildings, stairs, and obstacles? This is not just a fantasy from the movies. In cities around the world, a group of enthusiasts practice this seemingly impossible sport — “parkour.” The origins of parkour can be traced back to 20th-century France. A military officer named Georges-Hebert witnessed the incredible physical abilities of local residents in Africa, which inspired him to create the Methode Naturelle, or natural method. This training method cleverly combined climbing, running, and swimming with artificial barriers to mimic nature. Later, David Belle
Street lights are often taken for granted until a power outage plunges the world into darkness. When that happens, the value of these lighting installations becomes evident as the world turns into a more dangerous place for pedestrians and motorists alike. The Chinese could claim to be the first to have constructed a crude type of street light. Around 500 BC, residents of Beijing employed a type of street lamp that used hollow bamboo pipes and natural gas vents to create burning torches. Later, ancient Romans adopted lamps fueled by vegetable oil, which relied on slaves to light and
A: Who else is on Billboard’s list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century?” B: No. 15 to 6 are: Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Usher, Adele, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Britney Spears. A: I can’t believe that Adele’s only at No. 10. B: No. 5 to 1 are: Lady Gaga, Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Beyonce. A: Well, they surely deserve the honor. A: 《告示牌》雜誌的「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」，還有誰上榜啊？ B: 第15至6名是：麥莉希拉、大賈斯汀、妮姬米娜、阿姆、亞瑟小子、愛黛兒、亞莉安娜、小賈斯汀、肯伊威斯特、小甜甜布蘭妮。 A: 真不敢相信愛黛兒只排第10名。 B: 第5至1名是：女神卡卡、德瑞克、蕾哈娜、泰勒絲、碧昂絲。 A: 這幾位真是實至名歸！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: The 21st Century is now entering its 25th year. B: So Billboard has released a list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century.” A: Who are the greatest pop singers? B: No. 25 to 16 are: Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Bad Bunny, One Direction, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, BTS, The Weeknd, Shakira and Jay-Z. A: Wow, my favorite K-pop supergroup BTS has made it to the list. A: 21世紀正在邁入第25個年頭了。 B: 《告示牌》雜誌特別公布：「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」。 A: 最偉大的歌手有哪些？ B: 第25至16名是：凱蒂佩芮、紅髮艾德、壞痞兔、1世代、小韋恩、火星人布魯諾、防彈少年團（BTS）、威肯、夏奇拉、Jay-Z。 A: 哇，我最愛的韓流天團BTS也上榜了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
RSS