Queer Politics & the Palestinian Struggle: Ten Years of Activism

A talk by Haneen Maikey

Queer Palestinian groups began to emerge in as early as 2001. After a decade of activism Palestinian queer groups aspire to lead a new queer movement that is integral to the Palestinian society, a movement that interlinks and intersects withother social and political struggles and movements. Paving the road for a relevantand local sexual discourse and a more visible LGBTQ activism.

One of the key grassroots organizations working on sexual and gender diversity in the Palestinian community, 'alQaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity in PalestinianSociety', works to integrate the queer community into various levels of Palestinian society. Realizing that the oppression faced by Palestinian queers is not only a result of their gender and sexual identity, but a result of being Palestinians, alQaws strives to carve out a space for the queer community in the shadow of oppression and occupation. alQaws believes that in addressing the pressing needs of their fledgling communities, dynamic and visible community groups should lead the desired social changes.

The lecture will present the queer struggle in Palestine through the broader historical and political context. It explains the formation of a Palestinian queer movement, which evolved throughout different and major historical events in the political sphere of the region. The lecture proposes an understanding about the nature of the queer activism in Palestine, its accomplishments and challenges through the last decade and will introduce the current discourse of homonationalism and Pinkwashing in Israel from the perspective of marginalized Palestinian queers.

About Haneen: The lecture will be facilitated by Haneen Maikey, a queer Palestinian activist andthe director of alQaws. In late 2001, Haneen worked as the Palestinian Project Coordinator for Jerusalem Open House, which began Haneen’s involvement inthe Palestinian queer community and instigated long process of self-discovery and community development. During this period, what began as merely a service-oriented project under the umbrella of a Jewish-Israeli organization grew into alQaws for Sexual & Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society – the first independent, grassroots, politically active LGBTQ organization working within Israel and the Palestinian occupied territories. Since 2008, Haneen has been the director of alQaws.

About alQaws: alQaws for Sexual & Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society is a group of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer (LGBTQ) Palestinian activists who work collaboratively to break down gendered and heteronormative barriers in Palestinian society [www.alqaws.org].

About Palestinian Queer for BDS [PQBDS]: PQBDS is a group of Palestinian queer activists who live in the Palestinian Occupied Territory and inside Israel, who came together to promote and stand for the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel [www.PQBDS.com].

The event is co-organized by the IRN Middle East and the Heinrich Boell Foundation.