A young man sits in an interrogation room with ominous background music. He is discernibly concerned about what awaits him. From the side, a hand reaches out and hands him cards, informing him that he still has rights even though he has been arrested. A security officer enters, glowering over the detained man. No dialogue is heard, only thought bubbles reveal what the two characters say and think.
"Homosexuality is not a crime. It is a personal freedom." This is the message of a new animated short film addressing Lebanon's LGBTQ community.
Released this week by Legal Agenda and the Arab Human Rights Fund, the video aims to ensure that LGBTQ individuals in Lebanon know their rights, while also revealing the indignity these individuals face when detained.
When the security officer aggressively asks for compliance from the young man, he replies by holding up one of the cards that says: "ha'ee" or "my right," refusing to comply to inhumane treatment. LGBTQ individuals do have rights when they are arrested and the video aims to inform the community about how they should respond if detained.
Highlighting the indignities that individuals detained for homosexuality face, the video also provides important facts to protect against being physically and psychologically compromised.
In the past, security officers break into detained LGBTQ community member's phones. Detainees are often subjected to anal examinations (famously dubbed "the egg test") and they are even beaten by police.
The video juxtaposes these disturbing realities with a way out: LGBTQ individuals can exercise their rights.
Police in Lebanon use Article 534 of the Criminal Code as justification for arresting LGBTQ individuals. The law stipulates up to one year of jail time for individuals who engage in "sexual intercourse against the order of nature." But since 2009, three Lebanese court decisions have so far refused to apply this article against same-sex intercourse.
Lebanon's justice ministry has banned anal examinations, often using an egg. The practice has also been condemned by Lebanon's Order of Physicians. Organizations like Legal Agenda and sexual rights NGO Helem are working to further advance LGBTQ rights in the country, while also calling for the repeal of the ambiguous Article 534.