Al Qaws

Al Qaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society (Arabic: القوس للتعددية الجنسية والجندرية في المجتمع الفلسطيني), often referred to as "alQaws", is a Palestinian civil society organization founded in grassroots activism, aiming to be at the forefront of Palestinian cultural and social change. The organization works to build LGBTQ+ and queer communities and promote new ideas about the role of gender and sexual diversity in political activism, civil society institutions, media, and everyday life. The organization describes itself as "queer-feminist" and "anti-colonial" in regards to the Israeli-occupied territories.[1]

Al Qaws
القوس
Formation2007
HeadquartersEast Jerusalem
Locations
Area served
Palestine
Director
Haneen Maikey
Websitealqaws.org

In August 2019, the Palestinian Authority banned Al Qaws from operating in the West Bank.[2] The ban was later withdrawn by the end of the month following backlash.[3]

History

The organization started as an independent local project formed by the Jerusalem Open House in 2001. The group split-off and was formally established as Al Qaws in 2007 and became quickly the main NGO advocating for LGBT+ rights in the country.

Al Qaws continues to run workspaces and active programs in various locations throughout rural and urban Palestinian communities.[4] Their activities include a national hotline with a team dedicated to supporting transgender people, local community discussion events about sexuality entitled "Hawamesh", and a training program for leaders in Palestinian institutions such as schools, youth groups, and human rights organizations.[4]

In 2013, Al Qaws brought together 70 Palestinians, including well-known singers, music technicians, and community members, to reach out to young Palestinians through alternative music and pop culture.[4] In 2014, Al Qaws co-signed a document with other civil organizations calling for an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes committed during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict.[5] In April 2019, Al Qaws and activist group Pinkwatching Israel called for a Palestinian boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, hosted by Israel, in opposition to "pinkwashing".[6]

On July 26, 2019, a 16-year-old teen from the Galilee town of Tamra was stabbed by his brother near a shelter for LGBT youth because of his sexual orientation / gender identity.[7] The event was the subject of considerable debate in Palestinian society, leading to a statement being released on July 27, 2019 by alQaws and signed by more than thirty Palestinian institutions condemning violence towards people with different sexual and gender orientations. Public debate also led to a demonstration led by alQaws on August 1, 2019 in partnership with several queer and feminist Palestinian organizations with more than 200 people gathering in Al-Aseer Square in Haifa.[8][9][10]

On August 17, 2019, the Palestinian Authority spokesperson released a statement claiming to ban alQaws' activities in the West Bank. The statement came following the increased visibility of alQaws' work on social media after widespread media coverage of the Haifa demonstration. This increased attention to the organization's social media pages led to some anger over alQaws' announcement of a discussion event that was held in Nablus and the announcement of an upcoming queer youth camp.[11] On August 27, 2019, the Palestinian Authority rescinded the ban following backlash and condemnation from human rights groups.[12]

Location

Four centers are linked to the association. They are located in Haifa, East Jerusalem, Jaffa and Ramallah.[1]

References
  1. "About Us". Al Qaws. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  2. "Palestinian Authority bans LGBTQ activities in West Bank". The Jerusalem Post. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  3. AFP (21 August 2019). "Rights groups slam Palestinian police for banning LGBTQ activity". Times of Israel. Retrieved 13 September 2019. Police subsequently rescinded their original statement, according to the [Palestinian Human Rights Organisations] Council.
  4. "alQaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society". Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  5. "Palestinian civil society in Israel demands urgent action on Gaza". Adalah. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  6. "L'Eurovision comme occasion de pinkwashing pour Israël – la communauté LGBT+ devrait le boycotter". Agence Media Palestine (in French). 3 April 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  7. عرب ٤٨ (2019-07-26). "يافا: ضحية الطعن من طمرة والجريمة ارتكبت على خلفية ميوله الجنسية". موقع عرب 48. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  8. "Palestinian Voices Condemn Violence Against LGBTQ people". www.alqaws.org. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  9. عرب ٤٨ (2019-08-01). "اعتقال مشتبه ثالث بجريمة طعن الفتى من طمرة أمام ملجأ للشباب المثليين". موقع عرب 48. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  10. "alQaws Fall Newsletter: August 2019, Our Next Phase of Queer Organizing in Palestine". www.alqaws.org. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  11. "AlQaws response to the PA police statment [sic]". alqaws.org. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  12. Ashly, Jaclynn (27 August 2019). "PA rescinds ban on LGBTQ group after protests". The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
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