BEIRUT, Lebanon — On a sofa in a dimly lit bar, two young women finish their beers while they caress each other's hands. Oblivious to the music, to the people who enter and leave, they look at each other as if they were the only inhabitants of the city. But as they cross the threshold, they undo their intertwined fingers. The darkness no longer protects them, and they must disguise their chemistry.
After all, they are in Lebanon — although Beirut, with its thousand nuances, is something like an oasis for them. Members of the LGBT community know very well which are the safe spaces to flirt, love and express themselves, but still the streets are hostile to them.
