Researcher - LGBTQ History and/in Politics

The purpose of this initiative is to fill in knowledge gaps on LGBTQ+ history as it
pertains to political movements and historical evidence to the existence and participation of queer
individuals in the MENA region’s public life. The information gathered is designed to equip
individuals with information to debunk harmful misconceptions and resist discrimination and
societal bias against the LGBTQ+ community based on myths that paint them as Western imports,
contemporary fads, and alien intruders to the MENA region.

Desired Outcome: The purpose of this project is to provide users with epistemic information on
historical and political topics in relation to rights, gender, and sexuality at a click of a button. It
seeks to create an exhaustive list of Questions to the most popular inquiries, pervasive
mythologies, and hidden truths and facts and provide answers to them in an accessible abridged,
but thoroughly researched and cited format. The Q&A segment would concentrate on the history of
the LGBTIQ+ rights movements in multiple countries in the Arab World and how political and
media actors have responded, resisted, and embraced it throughout history. The gathered
information will be presented in a user-friendly and accessible platform which will serve as a
reference for users to access freely in Arabic and English languages. By surfing Helem’s digital
search engine platform, users will be able to instantly gain access to an archive of information via a
simple and informative web directory. Users will be able to explore answers about diverse sexual
and gender minorities in the Arab region within multiple Q&A formats.
Key Concepts: Sexuality; Arab queer history; identity and belonging; cultural, societal, and legal
understandings of gender; Politics; Arab queer terminologies; discrimination, stigma, and fear.

Deliverables:
● Lead focus group discussions (FGDs) with members of the LGBTQ+ community to be done
in person and/or online.
● Organize interviews with experts and specialists in the relevant fields to be done in person
and/or online.
● Conduct research on specific LGBTQ-related topics and gather references for materials as

well as guidance on how to answer questions.
● Provide complete and comprehensive addendum contents and further reading for each
question and sub-category/subject.
● Provide a clear and comprehensive topic description of each sub-category to be utilized in
promotional material.
● Convert gathered information and materials into clear, and comprehensive responses.
● Create a digitized database of information including questions, answers, categories, and
references.
● Accompany a graphic designer in the creation of all audio-visual material for the digital
web directory platform.
● Ensure all aforementioned information is correctly translated into Arabic/English through
a meticulous review of all translations.