Mothers, Aunts, Brothers, and Friends Have an Heart-Warming Discussion at Meem!
It was a very special day for us at Meem when two mothers and other family members visited the Womyn House for the first time and participated in our November Bring-A-Friend discussion meeting. The mothers spoke with a lot of love and honesty about their feelings when their daughters came out to them as lesbians, how they came to accept it, and the range of emotions that accompany the experience. Aunts, brothers, straight friends and gay friends also contributed to the discussion.
 

Meem Speech at the Opening Plenary of the AWID Forum Receives a Standing Ovation
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 Gives a Panel on Building a Queer Women's Movement in the Arab World
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.
 

Transgender Day of Remembrance
To commemorate the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day set aside to remember people who were killed because of anti-transgender hate or prejudice, Meem screened and discussed "Boys Don't Cry," and hosted an interactive workshop on transgender identity led by trans activists. Participants learned more about the particular struggles and discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
 

Different in a Different World
Meem participated in a workshop that reached out to young people in schools and youth centers in Belgium to talk about the challenges of LGBT rights around the world. The experience gained in working with youth was important in helping us formulate a strategy to combat school homophobia in Lebanon in the future.
 

إقرئي هذه النشرة باللغة العربية
 

News Bits

► Meem members have rallied behind a fellow member of the Meem community who is facing dire social stigma and discrimination because of their gender identity. Within 48 hours, we were able to raise over $2,000 in personal donations from more than 65 members to support a friend in need.

► Meem gets 10-15 requests for media interviews every month, but we pick the ones we want very carefully so as to maintain our low-profile strategy. Click on the links below to read our most recent media appearances:

► Meem is delighted to be the newest member of CSBR, the Coalition for Sexual & Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies. CSBR is a network of NGOs and academics working in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and South-East Asia. Visit their website here for a loot into their very progressive core values on sexual rights.

► To improve Meem's services and activities in 2009, we've been conducting a satisfaction survey with 165 of our members through one-on-one meetings. We'll be using this data collected to set our strategy in the upcoming retreat in 2009. Na3mal li ajlikom :)

► We're on a recruitment campaign this December to find 29 more members before 2009 so that we close the year at 300 members. Yeah, we thought it would be a cute campaign to have :) So far, we're 4 down and 25 to go!
 

Selections from the Meem Blog

► Je Ne Comprends Pas
► You Are So Sweet!
► Transphobia vs. Lesbophobia
► In Vigilance We Trust

 

Website Statistics for Nov. 08
www.meemgroup.org

Total Unique Visits in Nov: 6,418
Increase from last month: +18%