● Meem is
2 years old!
● We have
312 members
● 726
non-members are subscribed to our newsletter
● Our website
gets an average of 286.42 visits per day
● More than 9800 people have seen our youtube videos
Outreach
Cards
Helem -
Lebanese Protection for LGBT
An Overview of Meem Projects
April 17, 2008
All of our
work is based on and around community support and
capacity building.
► the womyn
house Since our very first
meeting, it was clear that the biggest need of the group
was a space of our own where we can meet, talk, hang
out, and feel safe and nurtured. It took us more than a
year to turn this dream into a reality and we now have
our very own center in Beirut. Visit the
Womyn House page to learn
more about this project.
► discussion &
support groups Our continued emphasis is on
holding weekly discussion & support meetings where we
discuss struggles and coping mechanisms within 5 main
topics:
Relationships with Parents
Self
Esteem and Self Image
Lesbian Relationships
Coming
Out
Lesbian Stereotypes & Identities
here is a sample of our discussion board
Between 20 and
25 women attend our discussion meetings that take place
in the Womyn House. Our meetings are
open spaces where any woman can come tell her stories
and voice her opinions in a free manner. We never judge,
preach, or psycho-analyze. We share lessons learned,
laugh at humorous situations we have all experienced,
and allow room for emotional ventilation.
► projects in progress It's been 9 months since we started
organizing officially, and it has taken us a lot of time and effort
to gather the group together, build team spirit, and
brainstorm all the projects we think are important to
us. We've currently split up into committees to work on
the various projects and here is our list of projects in
progress:
Research on the lesbian community in Lebanon and
the Arab world, which will be published in books and
papers and made available to the public.
Training and capacity-building for our members
on different skills such as leadership, management,
communications, and activism.
A
number of film documentaries that chronicle
our progress, struggles, and achievements over the
next 3 build-up years. Our film team is also working
on awareness material and short films.
A shelter
reference plan for LBTQ women who are evicted from
their homes or facing severe financial problems.
Free
psychological services for members that range
from individual therapy, group therapy, a support
hotline, and peer counseling.
Free
legal services to educate individual members
on their rights and responsibilities as Lebanese
citizens, as well as to support emergency cases.
Support for Arab lesbians living in Arab
countries through helping them build small
empowering communities, dialogue, and friendship.
Social activities that offer members a space to
be active, have fun, and develop their talents.
These include dinners, parties, sports teams, and a
musical band.
Public
awareness material like this website, our
blog, pamphlets, and a quarterly magazine.
We'll keep
you updated with our progress in different projects as
they come along.
