Gay group in damascus, syria

AMMAN/BEIRUT — In Damascus, Amira al-Tabbaa lived her life in murmurs. Officially, homosexuality and offenses against “public decency” are illegal in Syria. That is why when Amira met with friends in ‘gay-friendly’ cafes they spoke “only in whispers.” The year-old Syrian dates her.

Gay men generally have more stable and extensive social networks, but these tend to be exclusive and often exclude other groups within the LGBTQ+ community. While men enjoy greater privacy and privileges simply for being male—such as the freedom to go out more easily or have a private room (in many Damascene communities, particularly in rural Damascus, boys are often given their own room.