|
Meem Online News Desk
Meem
Members Visits WFCE in Armenia
April 24, 2008
A member of
Meem visited Armenia and met up with the Armenian civil
rights group “We For Civil Equality (WFCE) in the
capital Yerevan. In addition to taking part in their
weekly activities and staff and volunteer meetings, our
member represented Meem and our work in Lebanon in hopes
of a future partnership between both groups. WFCE was
formed by a number of Armenian activists who were
looking for friendship, support, and a sense of
belonging in the LGBT community. Their ideology is quite
close to Meem’s.
The organization was officially registered by the
Ministry of Justice of Armenia in July 2006. They
currently work on:
1. ‘‘Prevention and Empowerment in the NIS: Responding
to HIV/AIDS amongst Sexual Minorities’’, funded by the
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. LGBT Human Rights violation documentation – “Armenian
LGBT Human Rights Campaign”, funded by ILGA – Europe.
They will soon start working on advocacy and lobbying.
Aside from their friendly meetings, workshops and
outreach work, WFCE works on empowerment through
trainings, offers psychological counseling and documents
violations of Human Rights. More information about WFCE
can be found on their webpage:
www.wfce.am
-------------------
Human Rights Watch
coordinator visits Meem
March 30, 2008
Meem had the
pleasure of inviting Mr. Nadim Houry from the
Human
Rights Watch office in Lebanon to visit the Womyn's
House and learn more about Meem's activities. Mr. Houry
met with some Meem members and discussed how the rights
of lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer women are
basic human rights. "I am very impressed with Meem's
work," Mr. Houry said after the visit, "and HRW is ready
to help should any Lebanese lesbian be in need of our
assistance."
The meeting
with HRW is part of Meem's ongoing networking program,
and we hope to host more organizations working on human
rights in Lebanon in the near future.
-------------------
Meem members hold first
meeting in the new Womyn's House
February 22, 2008
The Meem bunch
inaugurated the Womyn's House with a first meeting on
Saturday, February 22, 2008. The meeting included a tour
of the new center, planning the furniture and room
division, and brainstorming ideas for activities.
Opening hours and volunteer shifts for the first month
were also set at the meeting.
-------------------
The Meem Outreach Committee
takes its first trip to Saida
November 4, 2007
On Sunday,
November 4, eight members of the Meem Outreach Committee
made their first regional trip to Saida to meet for the
first time with two lesbians who are unable to come to
the meetings in Beirut. The group sat together over
breakfast to listen to these women share their
experiences and tell their stories of hope and courage
in the face of challenges. "Because of my sexual
orientation, I was forced to stay locked in my room for
over a year," one woman shared with us, "and I never
thought I would meet any other women like me in Lebanon.
But I always remained hopeful in a better life, and I
managed to convince my parents to allow me to work. I
was able to find a job and that allowed me the little
bit of freedom I needed."
The
overwhelming solidarity and high spirits of the meeting
has encouraged us in Meem to organize more regional
outreach trips. We plan in the near future to take
similar initiatives in visiting other women in the
Northern, Southern, and Bekaa regions of Lebanon, where
homosexuality remains a problematic taboo that leads to
severe cases of abuse.
-------------------
Meem
successfully holds its first open discussion meeting:
"Bring-A-Straight-Friend"
November 2, 2007
For the first
time since the lesbian-only meetings started in December
2006, Meem organized its first meeting open to
non-members on October 27, 2007. The topic for this
meeting was "Bring A Straight Friend" and attendees were
asked to invite their straight friends, colleagues, or
family members in order to share with others what it's
like to be on the other side of the coming out process.
We were
delighted to have with us 7 straight friends of Meem
members and one sister, all of whom talked about their
own challenges and stories of listening to a lesbian
friend come out. As one woman put it: "When I first
found out my friend was a lesbian, I was so upset. But I
realized that I was most upset that she had waiting so
long to share with me such a big aspect of my life. It's
been two years since and I wouldn't give her friendship
up for the world."
We would like
to thank all our straight friends for their courage and
kindness!
------------------- |
