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Reel Gender Examines Palestinian and Israeli Society on Film

The publisher Bloomsbury Academic released Reel Gender: Palestinian and Israeli Cinema in 2022 with positive reviews from scholars Daniel Herwitz of the University of Michigan and Huda J. Fakhreddine, Associate of the University of Pennsylvania. The 256-page anthology features eight enlightening essays chosen by its editors, Sa'ed Atshan and Katharina Galor. Individuals can pick up the book in hardcover, paperback, and e-book formats.

Reel Gender examines “the collective realities and the filmic representations” of Palestinians, Israelis, and the larger cultures that surround them. The book analyses the similarities and differences between Palestinian and Israeli society on screen while paying particular attention to depictions of gender and sexuality.

The writers who contributed to Reel Gender come from academic fields that range from critical and postcolonial theory to post-feminism and queer theory. The book’s essays range from “The Religious Feminism of Rama Burshtein's Romances” by Karen E. H. Skinazi to “Identity (Ex)Changes, Gender, and Family Ties: Cinematic Representations of Israeli Jews and Palestinians” by Yael Zerubavel.

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Pioneering Gay Pacifist and Civil Rights Organizer Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin, a pioneering African American pacifist and civil rights organizer, had a Quaker upbringing in Pennsylvania. He introduced Gandhi’s ethos of nonviolent resistance to an American setting and served as a spiritual mentor to the Rev. Martin Luther King. He also served as the March on Washington’s primary organizer and had an impact as a labor organizer who increased minority representation in unions.

The author of Rustin's biography felt that Rustin accomplished many feats despite remaining openly gay in an era known as “the most openly homophobic in US history.” The vast majority of the LGBTQ community lived double lives, conforming to the normative heterosexual archetype.

Rustin never apologized for his identity, which led to efforts from conservative black clergymen to ensure that Rustin did not have a leadership voice in the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. Rev. King and labor leaders worked tirelessly to ensure Rustin had a prominent position in their organization, setting a template of inclusivity to this day.

His efforts with the March on Washington ranged from corralling the talents of young activists to getting participants on trains and buses on time to arrive in Washington, DC, en masse. He ensured the event remained peaceful, exerting maximum pressure on the federal administration to enact passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

In 2023, Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company brought new attention to Rustin with their Netflix biopic “Rustin.”

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The State of LGBTQ Rights in the US

LGBTQ rights in the United States have seen significant progress over the past several decades, but the current landscape remains complex and uneven. For example, marriage equality became law in 2015 after the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. This is one example of national legal security for LGBTQ people. This decision guaranteed that same-sex couples across the country could get the same legal advantages and be married as heterosexual couples.

These developments notwithstanding, the struggle for LGBTQ equality is far from finished. Protection at the state level differs significantly, resulting in a patchwork of rights primarily dependent on a person's residence. For example, whereas 23 states and Washington, D.C., have complete nondiscrimination laws shielding LGBTQ people in places including housing, businesses, and public facilities, others lack similar safeguards. LGBTQ people living in these states may experience prejudice in daily life with limited legal remedies.

Nevertheless, the public view of LGBTQ rights keeps evolving toward greater acceptance. Polls repeatedly demonstrate that most Americans agree that legal rights for LGBTQ people are essential. Still, some questions, including transgender rights, are fiercely debated. Laws aiming at transgender athletes and restroom use have spurred national discussions on gender identity and justice, thereby highlighting the polarizing character of certain proposed LGBTQ rights.

Although the social and legal scene has changed, difficulties still exist. Ongoing judicial fights, changing public opinion, and the political environment will continue to shape the course of LGBTQ rights in the United States. The discussion of equality and rights will also change as fresh problems surface.

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LGBTQ Life Dangerous in Middle East and North Africa

Many Middle Eastern and North African countries have laws restricting sexual behavior. Countries including Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates criminalize certain sexual acts between two people of the opposite sex, marital infidelity, and people of the same sex. Those who belong to the LGBTQ community face persecution, placing themselves in danger when they openly identify as LGBTQ or appear to promote alternative lifestyles.

According to a February 2021 article from the House of Commons Library, many of the laws used to address the LGBTQ community in North African and Middle Eastern countries originate from British and French colonial rule and from Sharia law. These forms of legislation address same-sex relationships by explicitly using gender-neutral language using phrases such as “unnatural sex” or “sexual intercourse contrary to the order of nature.” In Qatar, for example, legislators have written gender-specific language such as a man “enticing” or “instigating” another man into law.

In Sudan and Kuwait, legislators also criminalize sexual acts between two men. Lebanese and Syrian lawmakers criminalize any act falling into the “unnatural sex” category. In some instances, the authorities in these countries have used the term “unnatural sex” to criminalize sexual acts between two people of the same sex.

The laws in some of these countries also target expressions of gender identity. In the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, the law prohibits gender nonconformity. Kuwait, in particular, enacted laws in 2007 that criminalized imitating the opposite sex. Wearing gender-non-conforming clothing can culminate in charges of promoting debauchery and indecent behavior. These laws, if broken, lead to arbitrary arrests and degrading treatment. Alternatively, some laws contain vague language using words such as morality and indecency to refer to behaviors promoting homosexuality. If caught distributing such material in Algeria and Yemen, the authorities label this as a breach of modesty.

In Iraq, singing songs or participating in broadcasts deemed indecent brings the individual or group under the scrutiny of the authorities. Jordan authorities also punish people who appear to support LGBTQ, scrutinizing any behavior deemed immodest, and publication of materials that go against what is perceived as public morals and indecent is considered a crime.

These laws establish a framework for meting out punishment for people suspected of the above acts. A few cases illustrate the severity with which the authorities handle those who identify, promote, or engage in the above behaviors. For instance, Sarah Hegazy, who identified as an Egyptian queer feminist, held up a rainbow flag at a concert in Cairo to support the lead singer, an openly gay band member of the group Mashrou' Leila, in 2017. The photo was posted on Facebook, and Hegazy received thousands of hateful messages. The police arrested Hegazy for joining a group (the band) that interfered with the country’s constitution, and she later took her in life while in exile in Canada.

Security forces in Tunisia threatened to arrest, physically assault, and sexually assault LGBTQ activists in June 2021 as part of countrywide demonstrations. The authorities also outed and smeared individuals who identified as LGBTQ, exposing their personal information and identities without their consent.

Authorities are not the only groups that threaten the liberty and safety of LGBTQ individuals and their supporters. In Saudi Arabia, Yemeni blogger Mohamad al-Bokari stated on one of his blogs that he supported equal rights for all, including equal rights for the LGBTQ community. In response, armed groups threatened to kill him, and he fled on foot from Yemen to Saudi Arabia.

Because much of this legislation cracks down on promoting or supporting LGBTQ platforms, LGBTQ individuals under the authorities' scrutiny have little recourse in dealing with situations that make life very difficult. Denied even the right to express support for this group of people, activists such as al-Bokari, who was guilty of supporting equal rights for all, can find themselves in a maelstrom, one taking years to recover from. Ultimately, LGBTQ communities in this region fights for their dignity in the ways that make most sense for their individual contexts, and they are worthy of our solidarity.