Helem

Helem (the Arabic acronym of “Lebanese Protection for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders”), is a non-governmental non-profit organization. It presented its notification of association to the Lebanese Ministry of Interior on 4 September 2004.

Although it focuses on LGBTIQ issues, Helem membership is open to any person who shares their values based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Helem is also strongly opposed to any kind of segregation, both in the services it offers or in the struggle it leads.

Helem’s main goals are to work towards ending discrimination and stigma whether social or institutional towards people with non-normative sexualities, sexual orientations (lesbians, gays and bisexuals) and gender identities (transgender, and to decriminalize homosexuality in Lebanon. To this end, Helem lobbies with other human rights organizations on the national, regional, and international levels for the decriminalization of homosexuality and the advancement of human rights and personal freedoms in Lebanon.

Helem’s other main objective is to counter the AIDS epidemic and other sexually transmitted diseases while advocating for the rights of people living with the virus.