The Underrepresented Drag Community in Lebanon
Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code states that any “unnatural” act, which includes homosexual sex, is a crime. This article has been abused to ban the already present, but very underground LGBTQI+ community in Lebanon. Drag is one of the most powerful forms of expression by the LGBTQI+ community in Lebanon. However, drag shows can only take place in environments known by members and allies of the community. This capstone project aims to analyze the socio-political structure in which drag fits into the Lebanese society. This project investigates several research questions. The first asks how the drag scene in Lebanese media is being underrepresented in contrast to Western media. The second set of questions that guide the production of a short documentary include: How is Western media influencing local media portrayal of drag in Lebanon? How can Lebanese media improve public understanding of the local drag scene? Journalistic interviews and archived data from Lebanese news outlets are the primary and secondary sources for this project.
Academic Supervision: Dr. Gretchen King