During the weekend of the 20th-21st of March 2010, Meem organized a gender and sexualities camp which gathered about 20 persons.

The themes discussed during the weekend ranged from analyzing gender as a social construct to the binary concept of sex and gender as a fixed formula.

Standardization of sexual organs was also discussed specially through  unnecessary surgeries and interventions to protect the hetero patriarchal system which generates different forms of oppression such as sexism, heterosexism and transphobia.

Feminism had its share through an overview of feminist and women’s movements in the region as well as different types of feminist thoughts. We also discussed how the feminist and lgbtq movement advocated and still do for freedom of gender expression, as for  Transfeminism, it  broadens the concept of gender, holding that gender is a question of performativity, choice and right, the right to gender ambiguity and gender equality.

Monday February 15th at 7 p.m. we relaunched the Book Club at the House with a reading of “Zeina” a novel by Dr. Nawal El Saadawi. Originally written in Arabic,  it was first published in french to later on be published in its original language.

Zeina is the story of an “illegitimate” child who grows up to be an artist – however the novel is multi-layered covering many issues imbued from Egyptian society. It is the story of a neighborhood in Egypt, transitioning from kingdom to republic, and that delves into the fusion of contradicting ideologies.

The novel combines issues of  patriarchy, revolution, perversion. Its main themes fall under masculinity v/s femininity and poverty v/s wealth.

The book reading was stimulating and has brought up discussions about the phallus in El-Saadawi’s literature, patriarchy, family lineage, and physical abuse.

We’ve published a book! “Bareed Mista3jil” is a collection of 41 true stories from our community. The English version will be available in bookstores as of May 17, 2009. The Arabic version will follow in June. Stay tuned!

Meem members, their mothers, family members, and friends, gathered together today for another Bring-A-Friend discussion, which occurs on the last Sunday of every month at the Womyn House. “I suspected my daughter was gay when she was 16 or 17, but I didn’t say anything. I always respected her privacy so I waited for her to talk to me,” one supportive mother said. “Five years later, she finally did, and amidst a lot of tears, I assured her that I loved her and was proud of her no matter what. I was mostly proud of her finding and asserting herself in this difficult society. And my advice to all of you is to find yourself – even if you have to lose the world.”

Another mother at the meeting said she struggled a long time with blaming herself for her daughter’s sexuality. “I finally sought the help of a psychologist,” she told the packed room of lesbians and their friends, “who helped me realize that I had done nothing wrong.” The heart-tugging conversation included many personal stories – some happy, some sad – from lesbians and their gay male friends who came out to close friends, parents, and siblings. “I hope to one day bring my mother to this meeting,” one Meem member said. “There is nothing I want more than to be honest with her.”

Meem members said goodbye to a great year of activism, solidarity, and friendship in style today with a big Bye Bye 2008 potluck dinner. Over 40 members gathered together for great food and an exhilarating acoustic band performance. Participants in the 2-week-long Secret Santa game also revealed their santa identities and exchanged gifts. It was one heck of a night to remember!