The rainbow economy

ENAR

Homosexuality is not a mental disorder. In an unprecedented statement in July of this year, the Lebanese Psychiatric Society (LPS) became the first of its kind in the Arab region to declare that gay people are not mentally ill and do not require treatment. This was welcome news in the Lebanese homosexual community which has been more rapidly coming out of the closet in the past decade and battling for their rights. The statement came shortly after Pope Francis declared that, “if a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” That statement sent shockwaves throughout the worldwide gay community, which has celebrated recent progress in rights in some countries, but is still fighting rampant abuses in others.  Lebanon’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has reasons to cheer and some to boo. Beirut has a reputation of being a gay friendly