The Queer Arab Glossary

When conventional language does not equip us with the tools to speak about ourselves, we create our own. Slang expresses words and feelings that break down boundaries. It is a form of protest and fills in the gaps.

The Queer Arab Glossary is the first published collection of Arabic LGBTQ+ slang. This bold guide captures the lexicon of the queer Arab community in all its differences, quirks, and felicities. Featuring fascinating facts and anecdotes, it contains more than 300 terms in both English and Arabic, ranging from the humorous to the harrowing, serious to tongue-in-cheek, pejorative to endearing. Here, leading queer Arab artists, academics, activists, and writers offer insightful essays situating this groundbreaking glossary in a modern social and political context.

With beautiful, witty illustrations, The Queer Arab Glossary is a powerful response to pervasive myths and stereotypes around sexuality and an invitation to take a journey into queerness throughout the Arab world.

Contributors include Saqer Almarri, Nisrine Chaer, Sophie Chamas, Rana Issa, Adam HajYahia, Suneela Mubayi, Mejdulene Bernard Shomali, Hamed Sinno, and Abdellah Taa.

The Queer Arab Glossary was made possible with the generous support of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture AFAC, Mophradat, Bashar Assaf, and Mohammed Fakhro.

'The spicy guide to queer Arab slang ... The Queer Arab Glossary [is] a playfully illustrated compendium of words from the affectionate to the derogatory.' The Guardian

'A little masterpiece.' Owen Jones

The Queer Arab Glossary brilliantly brings together Arab LGBTQ+ slang, drawing on words from the past and present to create the queer language of the Arab region.' L'Orient Le Jour