Conference of Palestinian gay women held in Haifa

Aswat—which translates from Arabic into English as “voices”—is holding its first conference on March 28 in Haifa, which is within the borders of the 1948 establishment of the colonial garrison state of Israel. Aswat describes itself in English as “Palestinian gay women” and as a group of lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersexual and queer people.

The conference is entitled “Home and Exile in Queer Experience.” The event will celebrate what Aswat describes as “five fruitful years of engaging in social change and raising awareness in the Palestinian Community.”

Aswat will also proudly launch the historic publication of its first book in Arabic, entitled “Home and Exile in Queer Experience: Collection of Articles about Lesbian and Homosexual Identity.”

The all-day conference will include panels, including one on “homosexuality and lesbianism in the Arab community,” and solidarity messages from international supporters. The Palestinian women’s rap group Arapiat will perform. Aswat has also prepared a slide show.

For more information, write to: [email protected]; call: +972-4-866-2357; fax +972-4-864-1072; or visit www.aswatgroup.org.

Editor’s note: Aswat invited Feinberg to speak at the conference. More information about the conference and other aspects of this trip will be featured on the Workers World newspaper Web site at www.workers.org and in the print edition of WW. Installments of Feinberg’s WW “Lavender & Red” series will continue when she returns. Read the entire series posted at workers.org.