In Beirut, underground drag shows continue to grow in popularity behind closed doors.
While Drag isn’t technically illegal in Lebanon, sexual relations that are “contradicting the law of nature” are. The article is routinely used to convict gay men, which Beirut’s queens typically are. It carries a sentence of a year in jail.
By dressing in drag, young men in Lebanon are putting themselves at risk of arrest and, in some cases, of being shunned by families, friends and colleagues should they find out.
In the face of such oppression, drag queens in Lebanon form tight knit communities that are full of drama, competition, solidarity and understanding.
I was invited to watch four queens as they prepared themselves for a performance that evening. The photos were subsequently published in Huckmag.
Full story: https://www.huckmag.com/perspectives/reportage-2/beirut-drag-scene-fighting-back-frankie-mills/