The Queer Arabs

One month post-explosion, it remains crucial to #talkaboutlebanon, and support the ongoing project of relief, recovery, and rebuilding. This wonderful conversation with Danny from @rebuildingbeirutwithpride was initially shown as part of the @baylenfm House Arrest Digital Festival–but now you can listen on all of our podcast platforms too! @rebuildingbeirutwithpride is a UK-based initiative raising funds to rebuild Beirut through the celebration of Queer Arab talent. As well as their recent performance event, they have been running an art auction at @rbp.auction. All proceeds are equally split and donated to the Lebanese Red Cross, Beit El Baraka , Basmeh & Zeitooneh…

It was such a pleasure to talk to The Beachy Afghan, the wonderful creator of the IG platform thebeachyafghan.  We discussed her experience as the child of Afghan immigrants in Germany post-9/11, our shared frustration with the incorrect assumption of homogeny that is often made about the regions surrounding the SWANA region and around Afghanistan and its surrounding region, and so much more!

Note: This episode was recorded two days before the Beirut explosion.  Please see Nadia’s post from August 7th for relief fundraisers, updates, and more. —– Lebanese-French singer Eliz Murad joined us to talk about the new band she is developing, The Sabayas!  We also discussed her former band, Teleferik.  Eliz is creating The Sabayas with Moroccan-French drummer Nadine Talif, combining Arabic with rock, blues, and soul.  Eliz was told – while on Lebanese TV – that she was the first Arab woman to sing in Arabic and mix it with rock and roll. During this episode, we talked about navigating…

Amrou Al-Kadhi is an Iraqi-British writer, performer and filmmaker based in the UK who is redefining what it means to create mainstream entertainment.  In this episode, we talk about drag as an expression of culture and gateway into writing, navigating the US and UK entertainment industries, their book Life as a Unicorn, writing the finale of Little America, and more! Insta: @glamrou Twitter: @glamrou www.amroualkadhi.com

We had a wonderful conversation with Amuna, an activist and entrepreneur in the UAE.  Amuna is a Queer Black Arab woman who founded the Black Arabs Collective, a space for sharing stories and amplifying voices of Black Arabs.  We discussed how racism in the SWANA region is pervasive and underacknowledged.  We also talked about Amuna’s experience as a queer woman in Dubai who grew up in a religious family.  You’ll catch a bit of the call to prayer from the mosque next door to Amuna as we have a beautiful, gay conversation on this episode. (We also chatted about Tinder,…

Hosted by National Queer Theater & Dixon Place, and moderated by Sivan Battat, a panel with activists from across the Middle East and North Africa region discussed Transgender and Transnational Activism. What does queer and transgender activism look like in this region? In conversation around Amahl Khouri’s documentary play She He Me, following the true stories of three Arab characters who challenge gender norms, the panel explored queer experience in the region, activism on the ground, and how the Middle Eastern and North African Diaspora can support this work. The panel features Amahl Khouri, Hashem Hashem, and Pooya Mohseni.  Please…

On June 13, 2020, Dixon Place & National Queer Theater presented, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and NYC Pride: Creative Conversations: The Syrian Civil War and LGBTQ Communities The panel featured Omer Abbas Salem, Bitta Mostofi, Danny Ramadan, and Noor Hamdi. This panel, moderated by Festival Dramaturg Adam Ashraf Elsayigh, explored the experiences of LGBTQ people and trends in LGBTQ rights in Syria, before and during the country’s unrest. Featuring playwright Omar Abbas Salem and actor Noor Hamdi, as well as activists from Syria and the MENA region, some of the themes discussed included queer and…

NYC-based dancer Mark Balahadia joins us to talk about his study of various SWANA dance styles and what led him to become well known particularly among Iraqi and Saudi crowds.  He also explains how he ended up learning khaleeji Arabic, his experience performing for royalty, and more.  Check out his YouTube channel here! Follow Mark on IG @balahadiamark

NYC-based playwright and theater maker Daaimah Mubashshir joined us to talk about her new play “Room Enough (For Us All),” writing at the intersection of queer, Black, and Muslim identities, confronting racism both within theater and US Muslim spaces, and more. Daaimah brought up her personal experience of reconciling queer and Muslim identities, as well the many ways that connection to religion can look like. We further discussed how Arab and SWANA anti-blackness manifests in Muslim spaces, including queer-centric ones.  Our conversation also included the impact of racial discrimination and abuse in theater increasingly coming to the surface, and Daaimah’s…

We were thrilled to talk with Laith Nakli, who you might know as Uncle Naseem on the show Ramy on Hulu!  He discussed the challenges breaking into the industry, pushing beyond “terrorist” typecast roles, and using his position to shift representations of Arabs and Muslims on screen. Laith also recounted his pre-acting pursuits as a bodybuilder (winning the title of Mr. Syria) and running a candle shop. [Spoiler alert] The episode also includes discussion of Ramy Season 2, the issues of race, gender, and sexuality addressed within it, and the range of audience reactions–so we strongly recommend watching that first!…