From anfona to zalamiyya: Here’s your queer cultural guide to Arab slang
Lebanon-born graphic designer, writer and visual artist Marwan Kaabour discusses his debut book which playfully maps out the dynamic lexicon of the LGBTQIA+ Arab community.
WORDS BY ZOYA RAZA-SHEIKH It’s not always safe to step into the world of queerness. Often, we wonder how our identities will be received, even just by being ourselves.
And, sometimes, we don’t even have the means – the labels or terms – to express who we really are. We craft new words to bridge the gap between the words on our tongue and the identity we hold inside of us – and that is exactly what writer Marwan Kaabour addresses in his new book, The Queer Arab Glossary.
Historically, we have found ways to stay connected: bold flags denoting different identities, coloured hankies as a covert way of flagging sexual preferences, and, of course, speech.
