Paper details

Paper authors	Jasmin Lilian Diab
In panel on	Sexual and gender minorities, humanitarian action and the Triple Nexus
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

This study examines how queer Syrian refugees in Lebanon conceptualize migration, navigate displacement, and deploy coping strategies that diverge from dominant Syrian refugee narratives. For queer Syrians, systemic homophobia, transphobia, and societal stigma in Syria have rendered safety unattainable, even prior to the country’s conflict and the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 50 queer Syrian refugees in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, the study adopts a trauma-informed participatory approach to center the voices of this marginalized group. Findings reveal the paradoxical refuge Lebanon offers: while LGBTQI+ organizations provide critical support, legal precarity, economic instability, and societal discrimination persist, complicating efforts to secure safety and dignity. This research challenges assumptions that all Syrian refugees are eager to return post-Assad, demonstrating that queer refugees remain deeply skeptical about the possibility of societal change in Syria. Instead, their aspirations often focus on resettlement in more inclusive countries. By analyzing these findings through queer migration studies, intersectionality theory, and post-conflict scholarship, this paper highlights how queer refugees navigate intersecting layers of marginalization and agency. It calls for intersectional policies and inclusive frameworks that address the unique vulnerabilities and resilience strategies of LGBTQI+ refugees in displacement contexts.

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