The Queer Arabs

This is part 2 of a 2-part episode; check out part 1 also released on June 5. Composer Nebal Maysaud discussed the ingrained racism within the classical and new music world. We also continued our conversation about artists’ panels that just so happen to be all, or mostly, white, even when the topic is literally about diversity and inclusion. Subscribe to Nebal’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nebalmaysaud Visit Nebal’s website here: https://nebalmaysaud.com/ Read Nebal’s article: https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/its-time-to-let-classical-music-die/ Listen to Nebal’s piece: Decolonized Arabesques Follow them at: https://twitter.com/postarabesque https://www.facebook.com/nebalmaysaudcomposition/

Composer Nebal Maysaud joined us to talk about the ingrained racism within the classical and new music world. We also talked about (white) panels that profess to be about diversity and inclusion. Maybe that should be demonstrated by being inclusive and diverse within the panel itself, but what do we know? Subscribe to Nebal’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nebalmaysaud Visit Nebal’s website here: https://nebalmaysaud.com/ Read Nebal’s article: https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/its-time-to-let-classical-music-die/ Listen to Nebal’s piece: Decolonized Arabesques Follow them at: https://twitter.com/postarabesque https://www.facebook.com/nebalmaysaudcomposition/ —- As referenced in the intro of this episode in light of what is happening this week: https://thequeerarabs.com/addressing-anti-blackness-arabic-language-resource/

We spoke to Karam, communication officer of Mawjoudin. We talked about the work the organization does in Tunisia, the increased visibility of Tunisia in recent years surrounding queer activism, the importance of not relying solely on western media to gain understanding of in-country issues faced by the LGBTQI+ community, and more. From Karam: “WHO ARE WE? MAWJOUDIN WE EXIST is an officially registered not-for-profit NGO that is based in Tunisia, and works towards achieving equality, human rights, bodily rights and sexual rights for the LGBTQI+ community and other marginalized groups and individuals through advocacy, documentation, capacity building, awareness-raising, safe spaces and…

Bita Bell is an international multimedia artist-activist working in contemporary dance, music, and film. Born in Iran and educated in Hong Kong and the United States, she creates audio-visual performative experiences that question contemporary issues. Just prior to the current lockdown, she was choreographing for the Russian feminist punk band PussyRiot’s US tour. Bita joined us for a wonderful conversation on engaging audiences through interactive performance, maintaining mental health and creativity in quarantine, and what it means to belong to many places and none. Check out more of her work at bitabell.com.

Lisa Luxx is a queer poet, essayist and activist of mixed British Syrian heritage. Published in journals, newspapers and anthologies internationally including with publishers such as Hatchette and SAQI. Her work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, VICE TV and TEDx. Luxx was winner of Out-Spoken Prize for Performance Poetry and nominee for the Arts Foundation Fellowship in Poetry. Founder and host of The Sisterhood Salons, a feminist literary gathering. She splits her time between the English countryside and the city of Beirut. We were so excited to have her on the podcast to discuss and read some of…

Wake Island duo Phil Manasseh and Nadim Maghzal joined The Queer Arabs to discuss the new music video for their track “Last Ruins,” featured exclusively on Cold Cuts Magazine! We talked about the significance of pop music and the ability of artists to use the genre to push boundaries, the thought processes that led to the making of this music video, Wake Island’s original development of the track, and more. Video produced by Cold Cuts Magazine Directed by Mohamad Abdouni Art Direction by Roula Salibi Edited by Krystel AK SFX: Jad Taleb Starring Anya Kneez and George Torbey Special thanks…

Episode 27 in Arabic: Haneen Maikey and Omar Al Khatib from AlQaws! الحلقة 27 بالعربية: حنين معيكي وعمر الخطيب من القوس! Photos from the last Hawamesh events in Jerusalem and Haifa This week, Adam had a conversation with Haneen Maikey and Omar Al Khatib from AlQaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity within Palestinian Society. We talked about the history of Al-Qaws as an organization, the unique challenges of working in the Palestinian context under occupation, the phenomenon of pinkwashing, and the recent governmental backlash against LGBTQ communities in Palestine. You can learn more about Al-Qaws or seek their services through…

We talked to Rainbow Street Co-Founder & Executive Director Kevin Steen! Rainbow Street is an international protection organization for LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. It partners with local organizers to provide shelter and other resources for queer people in need. During this episode, we discussed what led to the founding of this organization, the roles of Rainbow Street in its various locations, what the word “activist” can mean, and more. Check out the website here!

We were thrilled to be joined by Haneen Maikey and Izzy Mustafa from alQaws for Sexual & Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society! We discussed building a politically queer grassroots movement in Palestine, connecting to queer Palestinians in diaspora, confronting Pinkwashing (a tactic of normalizing Israeli hegemony through images of queer-friendliness) both internationally and within Palestinian society, and the place of artistic expression in this movement. Be sure to check out alQaws’s website to learn more about their history and ongoing projects. Stay tuned for another episode with alQaws in Arabic, coming soon!

Rolla Selbak is a Palestinian-American filmmaker, writer, and director whose work has pushed boundaries of representation for Arab, Muslim, and queer characters. Our delightful discussion included the unexpected beginnings of her film career, navigating pushback and censorship, building empathy through storytelling, and the importance of trash TV. Heads Up: Her latest project, CHOKE–about a rising MMA star hiding her refugee status and sexuality in a South Carolina town–is available for free streaming online! Also stay tuned for her upcoming film Finjan! Content Warning: discussion of film plots includes suicide

Nebal Maysaud has a new podcast called The Post Arabesque; their first episode features Alia of The Queer Arabs podcast, and we are airing it on our podcast to give you all an intro to theirs! Watch for more episodes on their podcast soon! Please support Nebal on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nebalmaysaud

Hello everyone! Our love goes out to you all during this difficult time. This episode features the wonderful Andrew who created a space for queer SWANA artists: nafs.space. Andrew grew up in Denmark with his parents (who are from Egypt), and now lives in London. In this episode, we discuss the importance of queer SWANA spaces, the lack of international awareness of the issue of racism in Denmark, the formulation of Nafs Space, and more. In Arabic, “nafs” means the self, the ego, the soul. Please visit the website, and follow @nafs.space on IG! Thank you to Tania Safi for…

We spoke to Layle and Kayan who run the online zine Zafaraan Collective! Check out the website to see all of the issues: https://www.zafaraan.org/ This space serves as a queer collective of SWANA art; please reach out to Kayan and Layle at [email protected] if you’d like to submit a piece. This is the email address with which to donate to their PayPal account as well. Please follow them on their Facebook page and @zafaraan_collective on Instagram.

Beruit-based writer, actress, and storyteller Dima Mkhayel Matta (Follow on IG: @dimamatta) joined Nadia Khayrallah (@nadiainherownworld) and Adam Elsayigh (@adamelsayigh) to talk about her recent solo show, her storytelling series Cliffhangers Storytelling, the challenges of navigating censorship and orientalist tropes, the importance of (queer) art in revolution, and more! She also reads a few excerpts of her piece “This is not a memorized script, this is a well-rehearsed story,” presented through Zoukak Theater Company and developed at the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab. Note: Unfortunately, Dima’s residency at Theater Mitu in Brooklyn, discussed in the podcast, has been cancelled due to…

Ellie and Aldo discuss the geometry of a gender queer life, existing in traditionally masculine spaces and spill their gender fluids all over this episode.   IG : amateurbadass

Salon Al-Mahjar صالون المهجر is an open mic for immigrant queer, trans, and allied artists, actors, activists, writers, storytellers, dancers, singers, musicians, poets, feminists, thinkers, teachers, and historians from Central & West Asia and North Africa. Salon 8 was curated by Hannah Aliza Goldman and Sivan Battat. They also presented pieces during the salon! hannah-goldman.com IG: @imhannahgoldman PC: Jennifer Walkowiak IG: @sivanbattat PC: Daria Landa Salon 8 description: We gather to celebrate each other’s voices, exchange ideas, engage in each other’s passions, counteract censorship, promote and support each other, give and receive constructive feedback, and challenge what may be considered inappropriate “ayb” عيب or forbidden “haram” حرام. At Salon 8 صالون…

Adam Darko is back to talk to us about his new single, “White Desert” – check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=011fCciWlE0 On this episode, Adam talks about the meaning of this beautiful track and the technical aspects that went into creating this. He tells us about the music collective of which he is a co-founder, the Coup d’etat collective (which is such a fitting name, for reasons discussed in the episode)! We also get to hear Adam’s reflections on the changes that he has experienced over the past year. Adam Darko is an Algerian trans artist and Youtube content creator (…

Intesar Toufic (scholar, writer, percussionist, online personality, and so much more) joins us to talk about the Lebanese revolution. Later in the conversation, we manage to switch to the topic of fetishes. A helping of revolution and a serving of kinks on Valentine’s Day just seems like the right thing. Intesar was so much fun and informative to talk to – enjoy! Follow on FB: ScandalousArab Twitter: ClassyBoomBoom Art by: James Stewart Art (Follow Malforma Art on FB)

This is part two of a two-part episode serving you some insecuri-tea! During this portion, we (Nadia Khayrallah, Adam Elsayigh, and Alia) talk about our feelings regarding dating apps. Naturally, this leads into the discussion of app-based (and other ways of) Arabic learning. Credit goes to Nadia for the episode name! Follow Nadia on IG @nadiainherownworld and Adam @adamelsayigh Nadia’s website: http://nadiak.tk/ Adam’s website: https://www.adamaelsayigh.com/

This is part one of a two-part episode featuring three homo sapiens! During this portion, we (Nadia Khayrallah, Adam Elsayigh, and Alia) reflect on feelings pertaining to our art practice and where we are currently with that. We also discuss our thoughts related to the word “activist” and whether or not we claim the label for ourselves. Credit goes to Nadia for the episode name! Follow Nadia on IG @nadiainherownworld and Adam @adamelsayigh Nadia’s website: http://nadiak.tk/ Adam’s website: https://www.adamaelsayigh.com/

Content warning: This episode contains references to sexual abuse & suicide. This is an episode about reaching turning points in life, and how it is never late to reach those points. The theme is mental health; Ellie and Alia give updates on how their lives are going in that regard. This episode is barely edited because it was tough listening back through it. Thank you for understanding.

What do hot air balloons, nunneries, chocolate ice cream, and aloe vera have in common? Glad you asked – what they have in common is that they’re all mentioned in this episode. Listen to hear how Ellie and Alia combine these things into highly intellectual discourse.

This is an episode in which we (Ellie and Alia) muddle through our thoughts on, mainly, internet culture surrounding the Trump administration’s recent attack on Iran. This is not the time for funny memes; it is not the time for white Americans to simplify the situation or to make it about themselves. Excuse our disjointed discussion – you’ll hear us just trying to figure our thoughts out through conversation. Thank you all for listening.

Ellie & Alia discuss 2019 both personally and podcast-wise, and talk about hopes for this year. Happy New Year to you all!

For the last episode of this year, we bring you a glimpse into a party called Laylit. As the event listing describes it, it is a party celebrating the diverse music from the MENA region and its diaspora. “Stretching all the way back to the 50s and diving into today’s contemporary scene, each LayLit party takes you on a genre-spanning musical trip, highlighting the incredible diversity, depth and richness that comes out of the region.” These parties happen in both Montreal and NYC; the NYC one is hosted by C’mon Everybody, a welcoming space in Brooklyn. Wake Island and Saphe…

Salon Al-Mahjar in NYC is a safe space for artists to collaborate and share their work. On December 8, the 7th salon was held at Brooklyn Arts Exchange! While the last salon (6) focused on music, this one focused on dance and theater. Hear from the artists who showed work, along with some of the attendees! This salon was organized by Nadia Khayrallah, Hilal a.k.a. thelebanesemafia, and Mariam Bazeed. Nadia arranged for the venue and curated the dance side of this salon, while Mariam focused on the theater side. Thank you to Nadia, Hilal, Mariam, and the artists who showed…

Ellie talks about her surgery and how recovery has been going! Please note that there is some graphic content – listen at your discretion. Feel free to directly reach out to Ellie with questions/comments on IG @elliewantstoshitpost or on Twitter @EllieQueerArabs.

Meet Ashley & Edgar, the co-hosts of La Gente Podcast! Their podcast is a social and lifestyle podcast for POC by POC. In this half hour, we covered a wide range of subjects. We talked about unexpected aspects of podcasting that we’ve encountered (and the learning and unlearning that has come with that). We touched on immigration-related policies and the damaging effects of separating families. There is discussion about Pride and how its meaning has, in many ways, become distorted. We even briefly talk about Mercury in retrograde and how that impacted our initial connectivity with one another. It’s so…

حلقه ٢٦ بالعربي: الحلقه “الغريبه”. مقابله من جاد تانك عن تجربته مع الثوره في #لبنان Arabic Episode 26: The “Weird” episode. We talked to our returning guest Jadd Tank about his experience with the ongoing Lebanese Revolution. Listen to Jadd’s other episodes: Episode 12 in Arabic: https://thequeerarabs.com/podcast/episode-12-in-arabic-conversation-with-artist-jadd-tank/ Episode 42 in English: https://thequeerarabs.com/podcast/episode-42-jadd-tank-dancer-choreographer/ Outro audio is from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IBbqEPGsUk&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3DxER8NWjH5vF0tQgi4DhMZO-LfoOqHqkBKKCkFq49mi76DiClJRJWaT8

LebMASH, the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health, works to increase knowledge and resources surrounding sexual health and LGBTQI+ health. Its board of directors are located in Lebanon, Canada, and the United States. On Oct. 26, 2019, we (Nadia Khayrallah, Adam Elsayigh, and Alia) attended the LebMASH Halloween benefit party in NYC! The three of us co-hosted what turned out to be a fun and informative episode. Points touched on include: Resources provided by LebMASH, education (on issues such as STDs) needing furtherance in the SWANA region, stigmas affecting access to healthcare, and more. The Lebanese revolution comes up in…

Times like these make us glad we aren’t on a network – we can title our episodes however the fuck we want. This is a very short episode but it’s packed with information; Ellie shares what it has been like preparing for surgery. She speaks very honestly on this episode, and anyone wishing to learn a bit about the process can do so with this episode. You can reach out directly to Ellie with further questions or just to chat: Insta – elliewantstoshitpost Twitter – EllieQueerArabs

Salon Al-Mahjar in NYC is a safe space for artists to collaborate and share their work. This recording is from the sixth salon; artists who consented to being recorded are included on this. The episode consists of clips of what the artists brought to this open mic, as well as a few conversations with people during the intermission. The artists featured are as follows; while crediting is important, so is privacy. Artists who have written back to me with permission to use their full names will be listed as such; otherwise, first names will be used. Some of the social…

Our featured guest of this episode is a mover in every sense of the word! Anthony Nakhle, a professional dancer from Beirut and a world traveler, came on to talk to us. It was an incredible honor; we (fellow dancer/choreographer, Nadia Khayrallah + Alia) got to discuss what makes Anthony most excited about his work, the training and dedication that has led him to this stage of his life, and more. Anthony began his training at Caracalla Dance School in Lebanon; he now teaches and performs in Lebanon and around the world. To touch on just a couple of the…

Shamir, fellow introvert, exceptional singer-songwriter, and actor, joined Ellie, Alia, and guest co-host Miriam Hakim! He also started his own record label. After a brief Twitter exchange, Shamir was kind enough to sacrifice sleep (more than he already does) to talk with us! The connection during the recording was instant – talking to Shamir felt like talking to someone we’ve known for a long time. We discussed how gendered choir is, the significance of the dissonance-turned-harmony in Shamir’s music, and his upcoming tour with Sleater-Kinney. We also got to talk about queerness, Islam, and the intersection of those two things. …

On this episode, we (Aminah Mae Safi and Alia) talked about the importance of seeing oneself in fiction, with an especially specific importance when it comes to people at a formative age. Aminah, author of the young adult fiction books Not The Girls You’re Looking For and Tell Me How You Really Feel, is helping make that happen. Both of us are mixed (with one Arab parent), and Aminah brings that needed representation into her writing. There are also Muslim characters, and that’s something so beautiful to see as well. The queer romance in Tell Me How You Really Feel…

This episode features guest Malika who researches violent extremism. Malika discusses some of the various contexts in which people may gravitate toward extremist ideologies. Spoiler alert: white supremacy is the biggest threat to the U.S. and is global in many aspects.

In this episode, Ellie and Alia discuss the impact Sept. 11 has had on them as Americans with ties to the SWANA region.

Arabic Episode 25: An interview with Alaa Taha. Alaa is a Baghdad-based Iraqi Asexual activist who co-authored a book about asexuality and started a number of social media accounts bringing awareness to the topic. حلقه ٢٥ بالعربي: مقابله مع الناشطة العراقية آلاء ياسين طه. تكلمنا عن مفهوم #اللاجنسيه و إوضاع #اللاجنسيين في العالم العربي. أيضا تكلمنا مع آلاء حول الكتاب الي تم تأليفه عن الموضوع و حسابات التعريف عن #اللاجنسيه على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي الفديو ادناه تجدون تعريف وشرح مختصر وموجز عن #اللاجنسية ، بعد مشاهدة الفديو اذا اردتم الاطلاع اكثر عنها فيمكنكم معرفة وقراءة المنشورات بحسب المجال الذي تودون…

It’s that time of year again! This episode is from the Yallapunk festival (year 3). The episode features some of this year’s Yallapunk participants/attendees: Phil and Nadim, the Lebanese-Canadian electronic duo Wake Island http://www.wakeislandmusic.com/ IG: wakeislandmusic Phil and Nadim talk about the tour they’re currently on, the set they had for Yallapunk, and the importance of touring in regions of the world that are often overlooked. Miriam Hakim, solo singer/guitarist, and singer of the punk band Giant Kitty Listen on: Bandcamp iTunes Spotify IG: giantkittyband, kuzbaramusic Miriam brought up Giant Kitty’s part in the upcoming film “Acid Test”, talked about…

I (Alia) have some friends (Adam and Matt) visiting, and they graciously said yes to being on the podcast with about 5 minutes of notice! We ended up talking about ghosts, Karens/Chads we have encountered, and even fresh air (listen to the end of the episode to understand why the episode is called what it is). On a much more serious note, Matt and Adam also touched on topics such as authoritarianism, white privilege, and intolerance. The study of political psychology is, of course, always crucially relevant to our everyday lives. Enjoy what turned out to be a pretty amazing…

We (Ellie and Alia) talk about upcoming Yallapunk, all the changes going down in our lives this year, and more. This is a relatively short episode but we touch on quite a bit. Thank you all for listening; stay tuned soon for more on Yallapunk! The article we talked about in part of the episode is here: https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/.premium-the-mideast-s-stonewall-fight-for-lgbtq-rights-rages-on-1.7423556

We (Nadia & Alia) got to talk to Lebanese vogue dancer Hoedy Saad! You may remember hearing from Hoedy for a bit during Emma Gration’s podcast episode; we were excited to get to talk more. On this episode, Hoedy talks about the steadily increasingly visible vogue scene in Lebanon, the background of vogue, and the impact vogue (and also drag, as the two arts often overlap at events) has on the queer scene and even outside the queer sphere. By the way, Hoedy’s other passion is his animals; Hoedy is also now a veterinarian! We got to talk a little…

الحلقه ٢٤ بالعربي: مقابله مع الفنان نيكولاس شلهوب. تكلمنا عن تجربه نيكولاس مع الفن، الخروج من الخزانه، زواجه، والمقابلة الشهيرة مع نيشان على تلفزيون الجديد. Arabic Episode 24: An interview with Nicolas Chalhoub. We talked about Nicolas’ songs, coming out, marriage, and appearance on NewTV. Facebook: www.facebook.com/nicolas.chalhoub.official Twitter @nicolaschalhoub Instagram @nicolaschalhoub    

Leslie Gray joined us for this episode to discuss many enlightening topics (we’re shameless about our light puns). The reason for the light puns is because Leslie is involved in theater, and he operates the lighting equipment during productions. We talked about that during this episode, along with the time he spent at NYU Abu Dhabi as a student. He also discussed his research and the mixed implications of visibility in the context of Pride or other externally accessible queer spaces. Leslie talked about the privilege that comes with the ability to be visible, and discusses how the model of…

We got to talk to Tim Murphy, author of the novels Correspondents & Christodora! This episode focuses on his latest novel (Correspondents). The book is incredible and we recommend it to everyone. Elements of the novel’s plot include the US invasion of Iraq, migration, and blended families (in this case, a mixed Irish & Lebanese family in the US). This is a powerful novel which conveys some of the most complex human feelings that are not often put into words (such as some of the darkest, hard-to-talk-about moral dilemmas). Enjoy the book and enjoy this wonderful convo! We think you’ll…

Ellie and Alia discuss Alia’s upcoming move, thoughts from Pride, Ellie’s upcoming surgery, Haaretz (more to come on another episode), and more!

This episode contains various clips from conversations and experiences during World Pride in NYC this year! ENJOY! Some of the folks you’ll hear from this episode can be followed at these IG handles: @nadiainherownworld @flexedfeet @adamelsayigh @sumsumneela @lesliethegray Also follow: @tarabnycorg

الحلقه ٢٣ بالعربي: مقابله من اليوتوبر شريفه فداج المعروفة ب شي. تكلمنا عن حياه المثليين العرب، الصحه الجنسيه، الدين، اليوتوب و أمور أخرى. Arabic Episode 23: An interview with Shay, an Algerian-born lesbian YouTuber We talked about life as Queer Arabs, sexual education, YouTube, religion, and many other things. See the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shayishere

Photo credit: Tarek Moukaddem Contact: [email protected] @tarekmoukaddem on Instagram It’s hard to know where to begin with this episode description aside from the fact that this is an utter gem. “Don’t Be Chai, She Brought the Tea” is the title Hilal (@thelebanesemafia on IG) came up with. He got us together with the amazing Lebanese drag queen Emma Gration, and Omar Fattal was so kind and hosted us. If you listened to Tarek Zeidan’s episode recently, you may recall him mentioning Emma Gration; Emma went to NYC for World Pride, and it was such a privilege to spend this time…

Ellia visited Houston for the Pride parade, so we talked about our impressions of it: what was good and what has gone bad. We discussed the corporate focus of the parade and how that affects the essence of what Pride should be about. Ellia also gave some information about the limits in Arabic that exist when talking about inclusive queer terminology. This episode was done in 2 parts (one on June 23 and the other July 2); during the second half of the episode, Ellia and Alia talked about Tarab NYC and about World Pride in NYC. Ellia can be…