Beyond the Cairo 52

This blog is an online record of my thoughts and questions as they progress through my research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organizing in Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. A new media ethnographic field journal of sorts.

You can read more about the project itself here. I chose to share the progress of my research in this way for several reasons, the most important of which is probably that a commitment in the form of a blog will actually force me to keep writing, organize my thoughts, and solicit feedback. There are other reasons though. One is that the internet itself has been such a powerful force for LGBT organizing and networking, particularly in an area where open LGBT activity can be dangerous, and also because the growing transnational nature of activism has been facilitated by online communication and networking. So, this seemed like the perfect place to document it, right in the thick of things. And perhaps even this journal will become a part of the research itself, as a subject matter, a process, a conversation, particularly if it serves the purpose of allowing the people that I am writing about to engage and participate. Because ultimately, this project is for them.