Queer Activism from Egypt to Canada: A Study of LGBTQ Arab Muslim Immigrant Experiences in Canada
Watch online at TQFF.ca. ASL available.
This panel will explore the impacts of queer life in Egypt on queer activism in Canada, between the 2011 Egyptian revolution and the raising of the rainbow flag by Sarah Hegazy at a Cairo concert in 2017. Panelists will discuss the stories of individuals seeking asylum in Canada, with a focus on police targeting via social media, highlighting the late Sarah Hegazy’s profound impact. The panel will also examine the involvement of the Arab and Muslim community in the recent protests and counter-protests surrounding gender and sexual education in schools, emphasizing the ongoing debate and the dedicated efforts of activists advocating for LGBTQ rights within their own cultural context.
Queer Activism from Egypt to Canada: A Study of LGBTQ Arab Muslim Immigrant Experiences in Canada
is an Egyptian film producer, director and writer based in Toronto. He is pursuing his MFA in Film Production at York University and works for the Being Black in Canada film mentorship program. He was a Fulbright scholar at Columbia College Chicago and got his bachelor degree from the American University in Cairo. He has worked with Netflix, Al Jazeera and Doha Film Institute. His works have been selected for many film festivals worldwide including Berlinale, Tribeca and Oberhausen.
is a journalist and researcher. Currently, she is the Executive Director at Transat MENA, and her focus is on supporting transgender and non-binary rights. Recognized as the first openly transgender woman in Egypt to face arrest for political reasons, her commitment is to advocate for marginalized communities. In 2020, she initiated legal proceedings against the Egyptian Minister of Interior, hoping to contribute positively by urging the establishment of secure detention spaces for transgender individuals. Her journey in journalism, research, and advocacy, is driven by a genuine desire to foster inclusivity and justice within Egypt and beyond.
is an Egyptian-Canadian based in Toronto for over 10 years. He previously worked with Rainbow Railroad on the Middle East and North Africa support team to engage LGBT+ folks from the region seeking asylum. He is currently working as the Community Liaison for the Queer Muslim Network (QMN) of Toronto, a grassroots organization serving 2SLGBTQ+ Muslims in the GTA, many of whom are newcomers and refugees in Canada.
is Interim Deputy Director of the LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, and has been investigating abuses against LGBT people in the Middle East and North Africa region. Her recent work focuses on state-sponsored digital targeting of LGBT people around the region. She has previously investigated the killings of LGBT people by armed groups in Iraq, arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of LGBT people in Qatar, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, the systemic discrimination against transgender women in Lebanon, and security forces’ crackdown on LGBT organizing in Jordan, Tunisia, and Lebanon. She also led multimedia campaigns which highlight LGBT voices across the MENA region, and in Lebanon’s revolution.
120 min
2024, Symposium