The Bootcamp* is a special program developed by Helem to address gaps in information and awareness within the LGBTQIA+ community in Lebanon and beyond. It is comprised of a series of workshops designed to empower and educate young queers and allies in order to better understand and resist systemic oppression and discrimination, and to become stronger advocates for their own rights and well-being. Workshops are provided in English and Arabic, online and offline, and cover various topics, including gender and sexuality, staying safe, legal awareness, and developing counter-arguments to homophobic and transphobic rhetoric and dismantling common mythologies about queer people in the SWANA region. Interested applicants can e-mail us at community@helem.net for an updated list of the workshops currently on offer.
About Our Community Center
Our community center is the largest and one of the few non-commercial spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals in the SWANA region. It welcomes individuals and allies regardless of their sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, language, education, profession, religion, sect, age, disability, health, and status. It is a safe space to bond, heal, grow, learn, solve collective problems, and build power - and it is a locus of learning and mobilization around multiple issues for and about the community.The center is also an activist space: a hub for engaged and passionate people to congregate, initiate action, and contribute to the movement. The center features multiple independent clubs and committees that are formed by Helem members with their own independent agendas and funding. The Center also hosts multiple activities, meetings, and engagements concerning the rights and welfare of LGBTQIA+ people in Lebanon.
Our Community Programming
Events & Activities
Every year, Helem organizes dozens of activities and events. Many queer individuals from across Lebanon attend the latter to find a safe space for themselves, debate topics they cannot discuss in their respective environments, get acquainted with new information, express challenges or, and meet new people. Helem’s events include political debates, community town halls, story-telling nights, book discussions, queer movie nights, and various forms of artistic and community celebrations. Our International Drag Day celebrations are legendary!