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.

The first anti-violence LGBT protest in Beirut

Around 200 people gathered on the afternoon of Sunday, February 22 on Sodeco Square in Beirut to protest violence and discrimination against minorities, especially homosexuals. Lebanese lesbians and gay men took to the streets in the very first public sit-in organized by Helem in Lebanon and stood almost in disbelief as banners with anti-homophobic and pro-diversity were raised high above the heads. We shall no longer be afraid

Media Coverage:

L’Orient le Jour (French)

Annahar

Al-Akhbar

As-Safir

Now Lebanon

Liban News

Iloubnan

Monthly Review

AOL News (AFP video)

Nawaat

2000 feminists from 144 countries around the world gathered at the AWID Forum “The Power of Movements” to discuss the global women’s movement from all angles and perspectives. Meem was invited by the organizers to give a speech at the Opening Plenary “Woman Organizing and Transforming the World.” The Meem speech received a standing ovation from the participants who described it as provoking, bold, and honest. You can listen to the speech here.

Meem members participated in many panels at the AWID Forum 2008, contributing to topics like young feminist activism and challenging religious fundamentalism. Along with members from Aswat, Meem also presented a strategy towards building a queer women’s movement in the Arab world at a packed panel with over 100 feminist activists from around the world.