‘We are Palestinian, we are women, we are gay’

‘We are Palestinian, we are women, we are gay’

Battling against a deeply patriarchal society, Arab Israeli and Palestinian lesbians are uniting to break the taboo of homosexuality and politicise the right to be female and gay. “We are Palestinian, we are women and we are gay,” is the slogan coined by Aswat, the association campaigning for lesbian Arabs to be accepted in Israeli and Palestinian society, and whose name in English means “voices”. “A lot of lesbians and Arab homosexuals have double lives, marry and lead a secret existence. People say it is forbidden by religion,” says Rauda Morcos, Aswat coordinator, at its headquarters in Israel’s northern city of Haifa. “Society is hyprocritical. But we are against this issue remaining secret. We want it dealt with as a political and social issue,” she said.

Talk about a tough road. Courage!