by Louisa Emslie
The civil society organization starts an advice hotline and a professional working group on gender and sexuality in the West Bank.
AlQaws, a Palestinian civil society organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* (LGBT) folk, launched a new campaign titled “Alkhat – Listening and Information National Hotline.” The hotline offers confidential support and advice to callers in Palestine concerned with gender or sexuality issues.
AlQaws is also forming a group for therapists in the West Bank, based on their success doing so in Haifa for years. The professionals will collectively explore therapeutic approaches to issues of sexual and gender diversity. “This appears to be the first ever professional working group on gender and sexuality in the West Bank and the registered therapists have expressed welcome, anticipation and excitement,” a press release states.
Finally, alQaws published a research paper [Arabic]: “Attitudes and Trends in Palestinian Media on Sexual and Gender Diversity Issues.” Otherwise, the group's monthly youth forums and Palestinian queer parties continue to enrich Palestine’s LGBT community.
AlQaws advocates for social change in regards to gender and sexual diversity in Palestine at the same time as it encourages action to upend sexism, capitalism, and colonization. This social justice-driven agenda of course includes resisting the Israeli occupation as well as the lie that it is gay-friendly and therefore democratic.
Louisa Emslie is a graduate from the University of Edinburgh where she studied Arabic and Spanish Studies. She lives and works in Ramallah, Palestine.
