Culture news and discussion on TalkFuse.
How Berlin’s Arab queers are building their community
Berlin’s ADIRA collective is creating events and spaces for queer people with Arab, Southwest Asian and North African roots to celebrate their culture and build community. Its co-founder, Lebanese performance artist Hassandra, says bringing Arab identity into drag is important, while the festival’s performances also encourage audiences to question the legacies of admired public figures.
Founded in 2023 by Hassandra and Syrian-German DJ and cultural producer Zuher Jazmati, ADIRA runs panel discussions, performances and music events. The collective’s third drag festival took place in late October under the theme “Who’s Your Diva?!”, with performers paying tribute to figures including Umm Kulthum, Bülent Ersoy and Haifa Wehbe. The article says such spaces offer belonging and support amid rising Islamophobia and homophobia, and have taken on added importance after a deadly Islamist attack at Berlin’s Christopher Street Day parade.
In short
- ADIRA creates community events for queer people with Arab and regional roots.
- Its third drag festival celebrated Eastern Mediterranean divas.
- The collective offers belonging amid rising prejudice.
Explained simply
Queer people with Arab, Southwest Asian and North African roots may find few spaces where they can bring those parts of their identity together. ADIRA is a Berlin collective founded in 2023 by Lebanese performance artist Hassandra and Syrian-German DJ and cultural producer Zuher Jazmati. It organises discussions, performances and music events.
Drag can draw on cultural traditions and public figures as well as performance and humour. By paying tribute to celebrated singers and other icons, artists can also invite audiences to question how those figures are remembered. Such events offer a place to meet and build community amid reported rises in Islamophobia and homophobia; their role has gained added attention after a deadly Islamist attack at Berlin’s Christopher Street Day parade.
Culture Entertainment Music World