Elias Jahshan, an Australian journalist of Palestinian and Lebanese descent living in London, asked 18 writers who were born or raised in the Arab region or who are from the diaspora to ruminate on this intersection of their identity. The result is a new anthology This Arab is Queer, that has just been published in the US
Of the 70 countries and independent political entities that still have anti-homosexuality laws, 23 of them are in the Middle East and Asia which is still very scary. That alone shows how both groundbreaking …… and courageous Jahshan’s anthology is
He said “I wanted to show that we have agency and can tell our stories in our own way. We don’t need people speaking over us all the time.” His decision to platform queer Arab experiences was sparked after his time as Editor of the Star Observer—Australia’s longest-running LGBTQ+ media outlet—from 2013 to 2016. During his tenure, Jahshan says the Western media landscape was dominated by atrocities committed by Islamic State across Iraq and Syria.
. “Whenever I tell people I’m gay and I support free Palestine, instantly I’m told why don’t you try being gay [there] and see if Hamas throw you off a rooftop,” says Jahshan.
This Arab Is Queer is published by Saqi Books a leading independent publisher of trade and academic books on the
Middle East and North Africa. You can buy the book direct from them and all the usual book sources inc Amazon
