SIDC organizes LILO workshop for members of the LGBTQ++ community

Over 4 days, SIDC organized a LILO Identity workshop in Beirut for 17 individuals from the LGBTQ++ community where participants explored their sexuality, gender identities other qualities and roles, to view and accept themselves as human beings with many qualities and skills and discuss many topics such as gender, sexuality, discrimination and stigma.

“If I were ever to become a member of the parliament, I would hire people based on their qualifications and competence regardless of race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We as LGBTQ++ individuals do have a key role to play in many work industries. (K.M, a 35 y.o. transgender woman)”

Furthermore, the workshop was an opportunity for many people from the same community to meet each other and express themselves by sharing their stories and learning more about how the community is perceived and understood.

The LILO Identity Workshop is one of many activities within the framework of a two-year project funded by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) entitled “Promoting the Inclusivity of the LGBTI Community in the Workplace in Lebanon”, implemented by SIDC in partnership with ACTED.

This project targets stakeholders that have an impact on the employability, acceptability, accessibility, and empowerment of LGBTI individuals at the workplace in the private and non-governmental sectors in Lebanon as well as LGBTI individuals themselves.

Moreover, SIDC has been always supporting the LGBTQ++ community by documenting the human rights violations they face, empowering them through provision of support services and capacity building trainings and advocating for their employment rights in Lebanon and providing mental health support services.

Not the first LILO Identity Workshop in Lebanon

This is not the first time that SIDC has launched the LILO Identity Workshop which is a customized approach to exploring gender identity and sexual orientation. It responds to high levels of self-stigma in key populations, and works with individuals from the LGBTQ++ community to increase self-awareness, and, to enhance self-acceptance of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. The workshop aims to push individuals from the LGBTQ++ community towards a positive identity, a strong self-concept, and a great respect for themselves as individuals.

Looking In, Looking Out (LILO) is a series of methods designed to support people from marginalized and vulnerable groups.