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Can the "1/11" Revolutions Become a Rainbow Revolution?
Abstract
Coming on the heels of the uprising in Tunisia and the flight of President Ben Ali from the country, the January 25, 2011 Revolution of Egypt calling for freedom, social justice and democracy has taken the world by surprise especially when it actually led to the resignation of President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak on February 11, 2011. The massive popular uprising led by women, men and children of all ages, religious backgrounds, and social classes, all united in calling for the removal of Mubarak has led to demonstrations across the world in support of the Egyptian people and demands for similar reforms in their home countries. Now that the wall of fear that had silenced the Arab nations for decades has collapsed, a new realization that a veritable domino-effect could rock the Middle East and forever change the map and geopolitics of the world. The importance of this historical moment cannot be underestimated. A new Arab world defined by democracy will undoubtedly have profound local and global ramifications and, not least, far-reaching implications for civil, human and LGBT rights. This paper focuses specifically on the implications of the January 2011 revolutions for gay and lesbian communities across the Arab world and on LGBT activism in the region. Arab LGBT communities have been dramatically mobilized by the January 2011 revolutions and are energized by the possibilities that a major political and ideological change of governments could have for them. Debates are already taking place on electronic discussion groups and social networking sites (including blogs, twitter feeds and facebook pages) increasingly used by the Arab LGBT community in order to avoid persecution and prosecution. Since the political events that have rocked Tunisia and Egypt, LGBT groups have started analyzing and processing the unfolding events and debating strategies to insure that the rights of sexual minorities will be recognized and protected alongside other civil and human rights. My paper addresses the mobilization of these activists around the 1/11 revolutions and their ongoing debates and strategies in support of LGBT rights in the Arab world in the remainder of 2011, as we watch these revolutions continue to unfold.
Discipline
Literature
Geographic Area
Arab States
Sub Area
Gender/Women's Studies