I know nothing about Helem. I stumbled upon their website a long time ago and found nothing on it that could personally interest me. I went to two of their IDAHO events: the first one I attended in 2011 was nice and interesting, the second one was exactly the same as the first. I felt like a year passed and nothing changed.
Since I know nothing about Helem, since I do know any volunteer there personally, what I am about to say is as objective as it can be.
I read the Helem Leaks (got bored after 5 pages) and since I have no idea what the hell all these people are talking about, or who the hell these people are, I'm gonna be very general.
When an argument passes from accepting criticism, to sexism, to sexual harassment and then to heterophobia, there's just something really wrong with it.
Why do I feel like Helem cannot help me as an individual? I never understood what the point of this whole NGO was until I went to their IDAHO event in 2011. And now I know why they never reach out to people:
There are so many internal problems that steal all the activist's attention, that the mission of the NGO has lost its priority.
That's how I felt while reading all these email.
As "Karen" (whoever that is) said:
If the LGBTQ community cannot be united, how can we fight for our rights?
Have you ever seen a rainbow without all its seven colors shining next to one another?
It is in that way that I cannot see the LGBTQ community without each and every single letter united to the other.
Oh, and I should also add an S for Straight!
LGBTQS it is!
Fuck this,
HUMANS IT IS!
Who cares what's under your shirt! Boobs or no boobs.
Who cares what's under your pants! Penis or vagina.
Who cares who's in your bed! Man or woman.
Just get over that and DO SOMETHING USEFUL.
Make me feel safe in my country, make me feel at home.
I don't want to get chased by a policeman if I kiss a guy in public (yes, that actually happened), I don't want to feel like I can't trust someone until I can prove that he's homo-friendly.
I should believe that people are homophobic until proven otherwise, it's supposed to be the other way around!
Come on Helem, it seems that there's still hope with these new volunteers. Passez le flambeau.
Prove to the world that something can work in this country.
Since I know nothing about Helem, since I do know any volunteer there personally, what I am about to say is as objective as it can be.
I read the Helem Leaks (got bored after 5 pages) and since I have no idea what the hell all these people are talking about, or who the hell these people are, I'm gonna be very general.
When an argument passes from accepting criticism, to sexism, to sexual harassment and then to heterophobia, there's just something really wrong with it.
Why do I feel like Helem cannot help me as an individual? I never understood what the point of this whole NGO was until I went to their IDAHO event in 2011. And now I know why they never reach out to people:
There are so many internal problems that steal all the activist's attention, that the mission of the NGO has lost its priority.
That's how I felt while reading all these email.
As "Karen" (whoever that is) said:
I think we have enough on our plate to deal with gays being arrested and law suits instead of wasting energy on internal issues that should not exist in the first placeDivision is the first step towards crumbling apart. History has shown that over the centuries.
If the LGBTQ community cannot be united, how can we fight for our rights?
Have you ever seen a rainbow without all its seven colors shining next to one another?
It is in that way that I cannot see the LGBTQ community without each and every single letter united to the other.
Oh, and I should also add an S for Straight!
LGBTQS it is!
Fuck this,
HUMANS IT IS!
Who cares what's under your shirt! Boobs or no boobs.
Who cares what's under your pants! Penis or vagina.
Who cares who's in your bed! Man or woman.
Just get over that and DO SOMETHING USEFUL.
Make me feel safe in my country, make me feel at home.
I don't want to get chased by a policeman if I kiss a guy in public (yes, that actually happened), I don't want to feel like I can't trust someone until I can prove that he's homo-friendly.
I should believe that people are homophobic until proven otherwise, it's supposed to be the other way around!
Come on Helem, it seems that there's still hope with these new volunteers. Passez le flambeau.
Prove to the world that something can work in this country.
