If you have not heard it on the news, you would have read about it on social media. Lebanon is at war. As some of you may already know, October 7, 2023, marked a new chapter in the Middle East with the Israel-Hamas conflict, ultimately spilling into Lebanon and upscaling regional and international tensions.
Ever since August 2024, residents of Lebanon have been under a persistent state of panic which transpired into displacement and deaths, with Israel attacking several areas of Lebanon in its war against Hezbollah. To this day, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,367 people and wounded 11,088 others, most of whom are civilians caught in the crossfire. This full-out war escalation was demarcated by the explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies in a brand-new cyber warfare terrorism act. In its war against Hezbollah’s leadership and weaponry, a barrage of bombings is taking place almost every day in Lebanon. A large part of Beirut’s suburbs is disfigured; several villages on the southern border of Lebanon are demolished; and several areas in the Bekaa valley have witnessed heavy, destructive shelling.
Indeed, those who are fortunate enough to remain alive under shelling are dealing with another weapon of warfare, psychological warfare. With sound barriers being broken intermittently across Lebanon and the constant buzzing of observation drones hovering across the country to capture their next target, Lebanese residents are subjected to a constant atmosphere of terror. While under pressure, many local and international organizations, collectives, and non-state actors have launched relief efforts to help the families of the displaced and the wounded — thousands of whom fled their hometowns and temporarily relocated in public schools turned into makeshift shelters as the state could not support them.
At this crucial moment, it is important to remember LGBTIQ+ voices during these times. Several LGBTIQ+ organizations in Lebanon have reprioritized their steps and have shifted their projects to emergency response and relief efforts. The queer community was already an at-risk, if not specifically disempowered, population. At Free to be Me, we are constantly checking in on our team and the Lebanon CoA to ensure their safety. Several of Lebanon’s activities have been amended to include resilience building in times of war. We stand in solidarity with everyone affected, and our work in Lebanon aims to be a source of support for the LGBTQI+ community during these very challenging times. As Hivos, we also released ahivo, calling for an immediate ceasefire and for the protection of civilian lives.
