Sandra Melhem

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Sandra Melhem
NationalityLebanese
Years active2015–present
Organization
  • Ego Beirut
  • Queer Relief Fund
Known forLGBT rights activism

Sandra Melhem (Arabic: ساندرا ملحم) is a Lebanese entrepreneur and LGBT rights activist. She is the owner of Projekt / Ego Beirut club, a popular LGBT-friendly venue.[1][2][3][4] Melhem founded Queer Relief Fund, a humanitarian charity, in the aftermath of the 2020 Beirut explosion.[2][5][6] She received a special mention award for her humanitarian engagement at the International Prize for LGBT rights ceremony held in 2021 in Paris.[7]

Work and activism

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In 2015, Melhem founded Projekt / Ego Beirut club north of the Lebanese capital with four LGBT friends. Neither Melhem nor any of the other founding members had any experience in club management.[8] She was encouraged however by increased openness towards LGBT people in Lebanon, and the need for a safe meeting space for the local and regional LGBT community.[3][8] The club quickly became one of the most popular LGBT party hotspots.[2][9][8]

Melhem advocates for LGBT equality and inclusion, particularly for transgender individuals.[10][8] She showcases gay artists at her venues and events to raise public awareness and break societal misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding LGBT individuals and culture.[3] Melhem was an early supporter of the Lebanese drag community. She arranged —with Lebanon's pioneering drag queens Evita Kedavra and Anya Kneez— and hosted Beirut's first drag show in 2015.[11][8][6] According to Melhem, supporting drag artists and organizing drag shows are a form of protest against societal norms,[11] and an invitation to the public to explore queer art and entertainment. Melhem is credited with contributing to the growth of the drag movement in Beirut; she hosts the Beirut Grand Ball, the biggest annual drag event in Lebanon.[8][2][12][13] Melhem's Projekt/ EGO Beirut club, considered the foremost among Beirut's gay safe spaces, paved the way for the local drag scene to grow, and for a wider appreciation of queer art.[14][15][16] Melhem is also active in initiatives that address disparities in access to healthcare resources and mental health management for LGBT residents of Lebanon.[17][18]

Sandra founded 'Queer Relief Fund',[19] a humanitarian charity offering financial assistance to marginalized queer individuals affected by the 2020 Beirut explosion.[5][2][6] The blast was particularly damaging to the gay-friendly neighborhood of Mar Mikhael, where beneficiaries were assisted with medical fees, home repair and relocation costs, and AIDS medical management.[13][20][5]

Recognition

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In 2021, Melhem was given the Leader in LGBT Health Equity Award by the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH).[17] On IDAHOT 2021, Melhem received a special mention award for her humanitarian engagement at the International Prize for LGBT rights ceremony held by the City of Paris.[7]

Personal life

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Melhem is openly gay.[8] In a 2018 interview, Melhem spoke about her coming out experience, describing it as “well accepted”.[3]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Enzerink 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Gubash 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Richard 2018.
  4. ^ David 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Gough 2020.
  6. ^ a b c A. 2021.
  7. ^ a b Ville de Paris 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Olea 2019a.
  9. ^ Massain 2020.
  10. ^ Jahshan 2021.
  11. ^ a b Aagaard 2022.
  12. ^ Beirut Pride 2018.
  13. ^ a b Hourany 2021.
  14. ^ Satenstein 2019.
  15. ^ Seigneur 2022.
  16. ^ Olea 2019b.
  17. ^ a b LebMASH 2021.
  18. ^ Institute for Development Research Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC) 2021.
  19. ^ el-Hage 2020.
  20. ^ Tlozek & Yazbeck 2020.

General and cited sources

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