A recently launched Tunisian LGBT radio station is making global headlines.

Named Radio Shams, the network hopes to deal with opposition to LGBT rights in the country by creating a platform for their stories to be told. 

In statements he made earlier this month, Shams Radio's director general Bouhdid Belhadi said: 

"We are going to touch, through the subjects we treat, everyone living on Tunisian soil. Our editorial policy is to talk about rights and individual freedoms in general, but the focus will be on the LGBT community."

He also explained that the programs aired aim to raise awareness about major issues faced by LGBT people in the country. 

According to Pink News, since the station launched, its owners and managers have received numerous threats from people who oppose its vision.

The launch of Radio Shams comes months after Tunisia’s Human Rights Minister, Mehdi Ben Gharbia, announced that members of the country's LGBT community will no longer be subjected to forced anal examinations.

The practice has been defined as torture by activists and numerous international organizations.

At the time it was announced, rights group Amnesty International welcomed the decision but also said it does not go nearly far enough. Sodomy is still punishable by up to three years in jail in Tunisia, and LGBTQ individuals in the country face arrest and significant discrimination.

"Amnesty International welcomed today Tunisia’s acceptance of two recommendations to immediately cease the practice of forced anal examinations and ensure the protection of LGBTQI persons from all forms of stigmatization, discrimination, and violence," the rights group said.

"However the organization deeply regrets Tunisia’s rejection of 14 recommendations relating the decriminalization of same-sex relations by repealing article 230 of the Penal Code," it added.

Even though members of the LGBTQ community continue to face difficulties in countries across the Arab world, dialogue and awareness surrounding the oppression they face have been gaining greater salience over the past few years. 

Activists, artists and organizations have been challenging traditional societal taboos surrounding sexual identity.

In June, a week-long Pride event was held in Lebanon, drawing wide local and international media attention. 

While this was not the first Pride event to ever be held in the country, to many, it signaled a growing acceptance of the LGBTQ community. 

Similarly, the massive popularity throughout the Arab world of the Lebanese indie band Mashrou' Leila, which sings about LGBTQ themes and has an openly gay lead singer, can be interpreted as a sign that Arab youth are more accepting of a nuanced view of gender and sexual identity.

In the UAE, gender reassignment surgery was legalized in 2016, although the legality of changing one's gender on official documents is still unclear. 

From Iraq to Jordan and Tunisia, LGBTQ groups and organizations are raising awareness and challenging societal misconceptions.

In response to U.S. President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Turkey and Lebanon have both announced their intentions to open embassies in East Jerusalem.

In a post on his personal Twitter account, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil announced he had informed President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas of his willingness to establish a Lebanese embassy in East Jerusalem "the capital of Palestine", as he emphasized. 

Abbas had also promised to provide a piece of land for Lebanon's mission in Jerusalem, as the plan will be further discussed during Thursday's cabinet meeting, Bassil said, according to the Daily Star.

Bassil had also expressed his stand and commitment to Jerusalem through another tweet saying: "Those who abandon Jerusalem, abandon their Arab identity."

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had also voiced Turkey's intention to open an embassy in East Jerusalem. 

"God willing, the day is close when officially, with God’s permission, we will open our embassy there," Erdoğan said, according to the Guardian.

Erdoğan was not clear on how he would carry out the move as Israel controls all of Jerusalem and considers the holy city its indivisible capital. 

His announcement came days after leading calls at a summit of Muslim leaders for the world to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. 

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit was a response to Trump’s controversial decision earlier this month. 

The 57-member OIC considered Trump's move to be a declaration that Washington is no longer an honest broker of peace, capable of working toward stability in the region. The statement was issued at the end of the emergency summit which was held in Istanbul, Turkey.

The announcements were seen controversial and had sparked various reactions from the public. 

People took to Twitter and had a lot to say...

"A Lebanese embassy in East Jerusalem!!! We cant even visit Palestine without passing by the Zionist enemy's checkpoints... which is a form of recognition of the Zionist state!"

"Erdogan's nonsense about opening a Turkish embassy in East Jerusalem is not applicable in reality. It's unrealistic and pure imagination. It's just words to fill powerful speeches he is good at, just like other leaders of the region."

"Establishing our embassy in East Jerusalem means normalizing the occupation."

"Gebran Bassil, a powerful voice in times of Arab weakness."

"What the Arabs did not and will not dare to do for Palestine is to be accomplished by Gebran Bassil! Resistance for Jerusalem. We are proud of you! You never fail to amaze us!"

"Can you imagine if it works out with Gebran Bassil to establish a Lebanese embassy in Jerusalem? It would be a dream come true to go pilgrimage in Jerusalem the capital of Palestine. It might be difficult but not impossible with Gebran."