Discrimination v/s Dignity: 0-1

Nothing beats the satisfaction of winning over illegal practices through successful legal action; the pride of fighting humiliation with dignity; the relief of countersriking discrimination with an earned human right.

The sad episode of Cinema Plaza finally allowed just that. By triggering a host of indignation and anger in the civil, legal and medical communities, it accelerated the efforts started two months ago following another scandal from the "morality police".

The campaign that started it (below) and the body
that made it happen (above): a perfect combination!

As of Tuesday, August 7, 2012, the ANAL TEST has become ILLEGAL in LEBANON. This “Examination of Shame” ordered by the torturers of Hbeich and conducted by its corrupt medical examiners can now be subjected to legal proceedings on behalf of the detainees, and the physician can be banned from practicing medicine.

No more excuses can ever be made by anybody including the ministry of Justice, who blamed the delay in passing the Circular over to the concerned parties more than one month ago on an “administrative error”.

This is what keeps the sit-in organized by Helem this coming Saturday August 11 at 10 AM in front of the Ministry of Justice, still very relevant despite the win.

Lebanon’s LGBT and friends cannot but be thankful to the lawyers and doctors at Helem and at the Lebanese Order of Physicians (L’Ordre des Médecins du Liban, currently headed by Dr. Charaf Abou Charaf) for this victory.

Everyone’s now hoping for more to come. With election season coming up mid of next year there seems to be good momentum right now for the logical next step to this latest win: to abolish Article 534 once and for all. Let’s make it happen!