Arab Queer Dictionary (قاموس)

A project to find Arabic LGBTQIA+ terms, people, literature, art, and history.

[arab-queer-dictionary]

Zawaj al-mithliyin زواج المثليين

Same-sex marriage.

Ahrar el-jins احرار الجنس

Those who are sexually free.

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the love & lies of rukhsana ali

by Sabina Khan

Fight for love. Fight for family. Fight for yourself.

Rukhsana is caught with her girlfriend, Ariana, by her Muslim family. She is sent away to stay with extended family in Bangladesh, where she faces arranged marriages, religious tradition, and intolerance. Along the way, she finds allies and the courage to fight for her right to love.

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The Stone of Laughter حجر الضحك

by Huda Barakat

Set in 1982 in war-torn Beirut. Khalil, a gay man, is in hiding, avoiding ideological and military affiliation, but is inevitably drawn in.

The novel is believed to be the first book by an Arab author to center a queer character.

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Halal If You Hear Me

Edited by Fatima Asghar & Safia Elhillo

An anthology of writing by Muslims who are women, queer, genderqueer, nonbinary, or trans.

There is no one correct way to be Muslim. This anthology honors and celebrates the multiple intersecting identities of these Muslim writers.

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In The Spider’s Room في غرفة العنكبوت

By Mohammad Abd Al-Nabi

Hani, an Egyptian gay man is taken in by Cairo police, along with 50 other men, as part of a crackdown on Egypt’s LGBT+ community.

Hani writes down the events of his life - his sexuality, his first love, and his marriage of convenience. 

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God In Pink

By Hasan Namir

A novel about being queer and Muslim in war-torn Iraq in 2003.

Ramy is a young gay Iraqi struggling to balance the intersections of his sexuality, religion, and culture. 

Ramy seeks guidance from Ammar, a sheikh, whose tolerance and beliefs are tested.

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Bareed Mista3jil   بريد مستعجل

A collection of 41 anonymous memoirs from LGBT+ women and trans individuals from Lebanon, other Arab countries, and diasporas.

This collection was published by Meem (ميم), which is a feminist organization based in Beirut, Lebanon. This group is no longer active.

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Exiled For Love: The Journey of an Iranian Queer Activist

By Arsham Parsi

Iran tortures, imprisons, and executes LGBT+ individuals. Iran was also the home of Arsham Farsi.

After the suicide of a close queer friend, Arsham anonymously spoke out about the human rights abuses against LGBT+ people in Iran.

This leads to an issue for his arrest and execution. He sought refuge in Turkey and is eventually granted asylum in Canada.

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Mozdawij/ah   مزدوج/ة

Mosdawij means “of two parts.” This can be applied to anything, such as being bilingual or to describe a tree that bears two fruits.

It is also the Arabic term for bisexuality.

Mahmud of Ghazni محمود الغزنوي

Mahmud was a sultan of the Ghaznavid dynasty. His sultanate covered what we now know as Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of India.

He was deeply in love with his Georgian slave, Malik Ayaz, whom he wrote love poems to. Malik quickly rose in rank, and became a general of the Ghaznavid army.

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Moghayir/at el-jins   مغير/ة الجنس

This phrase literally translates to “changer of sex.” There is also the term Mutahawil/ah (متحول/ة), which means “transformer.” Both of these are used in Arabic to refer to trans people.

Izzadine Mustafa عزالدين مصطفى

Izzy is a trans Palestinian American Muslim activist and organizer. One of the many causes he cares for is fighting against Israeli apartheid and pink-washing.

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Sahiqah ساهقة

Sahiqah comes from the verb “Sahaqah” (s-h-q), which means to “pound,” “grind,” or “rub” (as in spices). The term is used to describe women who are attracted to the same sex. More specifically, it refers to sexual intercourse between two women.

Meem ميم

A support group for LGBT+ womxn based in Lebanon. It is no longer active.

Aswat اصوات

Aswat translated to “voices.” It is a womxn-centered LGBT+ group based in Palestine.

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El-jins al-thalith الجنس الثالث

The third gender. This term can refer to any gender identity outside the cis-binary, including trans, non-binary, and intersex individuals.

Andrea Abikaram اندريا أبي كرم

Andrea is a Lebanese-American “poet-performer cyborg.” They are non-binary and their pronouns are they/them. Extratransmission is their first published book of poetry. It is a critique on nationalism, patriarchy, and gender.

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Looty لوطي

Looty translates to “follower of Lot.” Lot is a figure in the Bible, Torah, and Qur’an. Lot is from the ancient city of Sodom. The term is used to refer to a sodomite.

Abu Nuwas (756-814) أبو نواس

A classical Arab poet from the Abbasid Caliphate period, Abu Nuwas was known for his homoerotic poetry.

“My eyes are fixed upon his delightful body, And I do not wonder at his beauty. His waist is a sapling, his face a moon, And loveliness rolls off his rosy cheeks. I die of love for you.”

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Mithli/ya مثلي/ة

Like the Greek word, “homo,” Mithli means “equal” or “same,” and is equivalent to “gay.” 

It is a term coined by Arab LGBT+ organizations in an attempt to replace the derogative “Sath.”

Mowjoudeen موجودين

Mowjoudeen translated to “we are here” or “we exist.” It is an LGBT+ group founded and based in Tunisia. Among many projects, they host an annual queer film festival.

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Shath/a شاذ/ة

The Arabic equivalent of “Queer.” Its meaning is derived from “different,” “unnatural,” and “deviant.”

Arabic is a gendered language: Shath is the word’s male form, and Satha is female.

Also: Shaz, Shadh

Hamed Sinho / حامد سنو

Hamed is the lead singer for the alternative rock band, Mashrou Leila (مشروع ليلى). Hamed is openly gay and advocated for LGBT+ rights. His band raised the pride flag in Lebanon in 2010 while performing songs denouncing police brutality and corrupt government.

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Khawal / خول

A traditional Egyptian male dancer cross-dressed in feminine attire. They were popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They imitated female Ghawazi dancers, who were banned after prohibitions on women dancing in public. Khawal wore makeup, plucked facial hair, had long braided hair, painted their hands with henna, and adopted feminine manners. They danced at various social functions, such as weddings, births, circumcisions, and festivals. When they were not performing, they wore a mixture of men’s and women’s clothing, including the woman’s veil.

Also: gawal

Today: used derogatorily to describe effeminate men.

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Khaneeth / خنيث

A vernacular Arabic term used in Oman and parts of the Arabian peninsula to refer to effeminate men who are attracted to other men. It is also used to describe a third gender, or transwomen in particular. It is a masculine word and is associated with passive, impotent, subordinate characteristics. It is used today derogatorily with the same meaning as “faggot.”

Also: Khanith, Xanith