SK is a Palestinian journalist who was raised in Jerusalem. Presently, he lives and works in Washington DC. He spoke with Bikyamasr.com on the challenges facing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Palestine. Bikyamasr.com: What are the general challenges that you face as a homosexual in an Arab or Islamic-influenced community, and how do they differ, according to your experience, from a Western-context? SK: Ironically, I can hold hands with a man in public in the Middle East, while male intimacy isn't comfortable in the West. Politically, gay marriage is debatable in the United States -my second home- whereas Arab liberals struggle to reach the minimum level of human rights in their region. I don't want to be labeled in the West, and I surely don't want to be tortured and murdered in the East. In my view, Amsterdam is a microcosm of how a gay-friendly community should look. Bikyamasr.com: How do these challenges take shape in a specific Palestinian context? What sort of resistance is there? SK: The struggle of gay Palestinians can and should be employed to serve the national cause. When I tell my American friends about gay activism in Palestine, I'm indirectly portraying the human side of the Palestinian society. I'm trying to stay positive about it, and I do believe that LGBT activism is growing in Palestine, thanks to social media and international student exchange programs. Religion isn't a big obstacle, take Istanbul as an example, where you can be in a gay bar and hear the prayer call or “Adhan” coming from a nearby mosque. So, religion and homosexuality can coexist only if we're civilized and liberated enough to allow them. Bikyamasr.com: Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren sparked outrage when he began delivering speeches attempting to discount the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian territories by pointing to Israel's record with LGBT rights. As a Palestinian who spent most of his life under occupation, on which side of the spectrum do you fall in the pinkwashing debate? SK: Compared to its neighbors, Yes, Israel is more gay-friendly, but, keep in mind that radical orthodox Jews control most of the legislation process in the state, hence, civil union isn't legal yet. Discrimination against Arabs in Israel does not exclude homosexual Arabs. Tel Aviv can be the gay Heaven only for a Palestinian who has never been to a gay club before. There are very few cases where Israel granted asylum to homosexual Palestinians, and other cases where they were used as spies. Bikyamasr.com: In your view, does the Arab Spring and the wave of revolutions sweeping the Middle East have any implications for the LGBT community in the Middle East? SK: I refrain from calling the evolving events in the Arab world a “Spring”… I'd rather call it an Autumn, especially in Syria. Change is still at its very early stage in the troubled Arab region. We need decades to witness a tangible change in regards to Gay rights. Upon the rise of Adolf Hitler, gay men and, to a lesser extent, lesbians, were two of the numerous groups targeted by the Nazi Party and were ultimately among Holocaust victims. Look at Germany back then and now. Revolution is a slow and long process not a turning point. I believe Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan seem to have a richer soil to integrate homosexuals in their societies, given the fact that the level of education in the Levant area is higher than in the Arab Gulf, Saudi Arabia, and North Africa. Bikyamasr.com: Do you envision a special role or an open role of the LGBT community in the Palestinian struggle for statehood? Does one identity take precedence over the other, in other words? SK: Let me clarify that I'm not a nationalist, thus I tend to support humanitarian causes with the same enthusiasm I have towards the Palestinian struggle for liberation. I don't believe in borders nor identities. I don't want an LGBT community anywhere, because I reject segregation. My dream is to live in a world where all are equal and labels are history. I'm not a gay activist; you can rather call me a human activist. Plus, many heterosexuals these days can do better than I do in “gay” activism. Bikyamasr.com: Do you adopt the line of organizations such as Al-Qaws, who argue that Palestinian queers cannot struggle beside Jewish Israeli queers due to the fear of strengthening Jewish privilege? SK: Yes, I do. Unless we reach a point where both nations realize that peace is essential to thrive, Israeli and Palestinian LGBT activists won't be able to work at common grounds. Bikyamasr.com: Do you see a noteworthy relationship between Palestinian women's movements and the LGBT struggle? SK: Liberating women is the very first step to liberate any nation. When we succeed in breaking male dominance at home then in the government, we'll be ready to educate people about sexual orientation. Bikyamasr.com: Do you see any positive developments on the horizon? Are you optimistic for LGBT life in Palestine? SK: It is too early to expect major changes in that regards. The Palestinian to-do list is very long, and all depends on the regional developments.
