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Arab American & Middle Eastern Communities

You only have to turn on the TV or flip through a magazine to know that representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Arab American and Middle Eastern American people don’t reflect the diversity of our community.

We can help you make a difference. Because at GLAAD we know that what people watch on TV or read in the newspaper shapes how they view and treat LGBT people. To increase the visibility of Arab American and Middle Eastern American LGBT communities in the media, we offer:

• Media Trainings –tools and strategies for effective media work.
• Spokesperson Trainings – preparation for persuasive media interviews.
• Media Advocacy – responses to problematic media images of Arab American and Middle Eastern American LGBT people.
• Resource Guides – culturally competent LGBT terminology and facts for accurate news coverage. 
• Media Consultations – story ideas and Arab American and Middle Eastern American LGBT and allied spokespeople.
• Script Consultations – fact checking and advice for authentic storylines about Arab American and Middle Eastern American LGBT people.

To find our more, contact us at arabamerican@glaad.org.

Did You Know?

• Arab Americans and Middle Eastern Americans live in all 50 states, and more than 3.5 million Americans are of Arab or Middle Eastern descent. 
  
  
• Middle Eastern Americans and Arab Americans extremely diverse, descending from more than 22 countries including Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Yemen, Tunisia and Palestine.  Even religion isn’t a common factor – Christianity is the most popular religion among Arab Americans, but that still only includes a little over half of the population (63%). 
  
  
• Some Middle Eastern countries ban gay and lesbian relationships and the punishments can be so severe – including imprisonment, torture, and death – that some people have left their homes to come to other parts of the world.
  
  
• Images of LGBT Arab Americans and Middle Eastern Americans are hard to find in the media – only one openly LGBT character of Middle Eastern descent was a series regular on scripted broadcast T.V. during the entire 2007-2008 season.

Supporting Organizations

This is a quick reference list for media professionals. These organizations can serve as a point of reference for issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Arab American and Middle Eastern Americans at the local and national level.

AHBAB - Gay and Lesbian Arab Society (GLAS)
International organization established in 1988 in the U.S. with worldwide chapters.
Website: www.glas.org/ahbab/
New York City Chapter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/glasnyc/
Los Angeles Chapter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/glasla/
Detroit Chapter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/glasdetroit/

Gay Middle East
An online resource for the Arab American and Middle Eastern LGBT community.
Website: www.gaymiddleeast.com

Immigration Equality
LGBT/HIV Asylum Manual provides resources for LGBT people seeking asylum.
Website: www.immigrationequality.org/
Manual: www.immigrationequality.org/manual_template.php?id=1036

If you would like more information related to LGBT Arab and Middle Eastern Americans or if you are a media professional working on a story, please email us at arabamerican@glaad.org.