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Episode 162 [in English]: Jillian York on Unraveling ‘A Gay Girl In Damascus’

Published May 31, 2021

Photo by:  VampKitty/Nadine Barišić

This week’s episode features Jillian York who, like Liz Henry (featured last week) played a vital role in 2011 in unveiling the hoax surrounding the blog ‘A Gay Girl In Damascus’ — the fictional character Amina Arraf had become a beloved figure by many around the world at the time.  To many, Amina represented a key shift in conversation surrounding the LGBT community; finally, there was an Arab lesbian voice reaching folks internationally.

In this episode, we discuss the psychological damage that can can be caused by catfishing, particularly when marginalized identities are co-opted.  Jillian also talks about the professional and personal contexts through which she was connected to the story.

It was great getting to connect with Jillian; check out her book Silicon Values: The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism.  https://www.versobooks.com/books/3772-silicon-values 

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Episode 121 [in English]: Creative Conversations: The Syrian Civil War and LGBTQ Communities

Published July 18, 2020


On June 13, 2020, Dixon Place & National Queer Theater presented, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and NYC Pride: Creative Conversations: The Syrian Civil War and LGBTQ Communities

The panel featured Omer Abbas Salem, Bitta Mostofi, Danny Ramadan, and Noor Hamdi.

This panel, moderated by Festival Dramaturg Adam Ashraf Elsayigh, explored the experiences of LGBTQ people and trends in LGBTQ rights in Syria, before and during the country’s unrest. Featuring playwright Omar Abbas Salem and actor Noor Hamdi, as well as activists from Syria and the MENA region, some of the themes discussed included queer and trans migration as well as the politics of queer Arab identity and representation in the diaspora. Listen to learn more about the state of legislation, as well as the many local organizations exerting advocacy and capacity building efforts to better the lives of queer people locally.

To see more about the artists: http://dixonplace.org/performances/creative-conversations-the-syrian-civil-war-and-lgbtq-communities-with-omer-abbas-salem-and-noor-hamdi-moderated-by-adam-ashraf-elsayigh/ 

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