Beirut Pride 2018
May 12 - 20

Beirut Pride 2018 was scheduled for 12 – 20 May 2018. It’s organiser Hadi Damien will be arrested on the evening of 14 May 2018 pursuant to the attribution to Beirut Pride of a homophobic, erroneous, sensational program. The next day, the general prosecutor of Beirut will order the suspension of the activities that were scheduled until 20 May 2018. The police crackdown will generate an international and local media frenzy, and a series of condemnations will follow. A few weeks later, the general prosecutor of Beirut will initiate criminal proceedings against Hadi Damien on the grounds of “organizing events that breach public order”. This page documents Beirut Pride 2018 and covers its statement, the launch of its program and its reception, the scheduled events, the crackdown and the statements that followed, the condemnations, the media coverage, the viral support we received, the initiation of the criminal proceedings and the developments that relate to it.