Georges Azzi
Georges Azzi | |
|---|---|
| Organization(s) | Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality |
Georges Azzi (born 1979) is the co-founder of Helem, a Lebanese non-profit organisation working on improving the legal and social status of LGBT people, and is the executive director of the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality.[1][2][3]
Early life and education
Azzi grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, in a conservative Christian family, during a civil war which divided Beirut between the East (the predominantly Christian side) and the West (the predominantly Muslim side).[3] He moved to Paris in 2000, where he earned a degree in engineering, multimedia, and communications and became involved in LGBTQ activism.[3] As a gay man who had grown up in Lebanon, he wanted to set up a centre in Beirut similar to Paris's LGBTQ Centre, to give LGBTQ people opportunities he had lacked.[1] He co-founded Helem (which means "dream" in Arabic) in 2004.[3]
Career
Azzi was the first openly gay activist in the MENA region[citation needed] and has been described as "a prominent activist for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights" by the Lebanese Daily Star.[4] On May 14, 2018, Azzi won OutRight Action International's Felipa de Souza Award for his work with The Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality.[3][5]
See also
References
- ^ a b Bocci, Dominic (15 July 2013). "LGBTQ Rights in Lebanon: an Interview with Georges Azzi". Muftah. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ Tracer, Dan (7 March 2014). "Lebanon Court Rules Being Gay Does Not Violate 'Laws Of Nature'". Queerty. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Teeman, Tim (15 May 2018). "Inside Georges Azzi's Brave Fight for LGBT Rights in the Middle East". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ Rainey, Venetia (5 March 2014). "Landmark ruling rubbishes anti-gay law in Lebanon". The Daily Star. Lebanon. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ "Lebanon blocks Grindr in latest attack on LGBT+ community". Independent. 28 May 2019.
Further reading
- Bickel, Markus (1 February 2007). "Helem ist die einzige organisation in der Arabischen welt, die sich für die rechte von lesben und schwulen einsetzt" [Helem is the only organization in the Arab world advocating for the rights of lesbian and gay people]. Berliner Zeitung (in German).
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