Nov 23, 2006Articles: Gay and lesbian advocacy group lowers political profile amid growing tensions on national scene
By vanrozenheim
(BEIRUT, LEBANON) - Helem has undergone a subtle transformation in recent months. Lebanon's pioneering gay and lesbian rights organization has scaled back its advocacy efforts in quiet acknowledgment of politicians' preoccupation with other issues - and its own potential for igniting backlash. Helem's full-time coordinator, Georges Azzi, says the shift is in part a reflection of the political turmoil in Lebanon in the aftermath of this past summer's war with Israel. "Every organization in Lebanon working on advocacy now is stopping because nothing is happening," he explains.
