Even before entering the main room of Out, a flag stick with rainbow colors and a unicorn on the reception desk make it clear that this is no run-of the-mill beauty salon. Located on a quiet street near the Church of St. Maroun and the Blue Mosque in downtown Beirut, the Out Beauty Boutique is the first, and so far, only queer beauty salon in town.
Lebanon's LGBT community is one of the most vibrant in the Arab world. Yet, as noted by Kim Mouawad, the young entrepreneur who founded Out in December 2017, there are not many establishments aimed at the gay community other than bars and clubs.