LebMASH Milestones 2012-2019
2012
LebMASH was founded.
2013
- LebMASH launched Break The Silence (BTS) Annual Student Grant.
- LebMASH, LPA (Lebanese Psychological Association) and LPS (Lebanese Psychiatric. Society) released historic position statements stating that homosexuality is not a mental illness and any attempt to change one’s sexual orientation is futile and could be harmful.
- LebMASH held its first Halloween fundraising event in New York City.
2014
- LebMASH secured a 3-year fund for BTS by launching a successful crowdsourcing campaign via Zoomaal.
- LebMASH cemented the ban on anal testing in Lebanon.
2015
- LebMASH launched the Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality Award. Dr. Brigitte Khoury received the first award in 2015.
2016
- LebMASH released its first campaign to target public opinion. “Shu l Sabab”video released to dispel common misconceptions around homosexuality.
- LebMASH teamed up with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, developed and pilot tested its LGBT Health curriculum.
- LebMASH launched LebGUIDE – a database of LGBT friendly health care providers.
- LebMASH received the GLMA 2017 Health Achievement Award.
2017
A first for any Arab country, LebMASH launched a National LGBT Health Weekin Lebanon in March including a media campaign, a student workshop and a health conference.
LebMASH teamed up with the World Professional Association on Transgender Health (WPATH) to translate to Arabic and publish the WPATH Standards of Care (SOC) in transgender health.
LebMASH launched a crowdsourcing Campaign via GivingLoop to offset lost funds after a website hack and to secure running cost for the association.
2018
LebMASH held its second LGBT Health Week in March 2018.
LebMASH published the LGBT Mental Health manual with the endorsement of the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and trained 200 mental health experts in the capital Beirut and different regions in Lebanon.
2019
LebMASH held the 3rd annual LGBT Health Week in March 2019.
LebMASH offered the LGBT Mental Health Training to 80 healthcare providers.
Dr. Aimee Karam received the Leader in LGBT Health Equity Award.
LebMASH participated in AUB’s Masters in Public Health Practicum Preceptors’ Meeting. LebMASH welcomed one MPH student who worked an extensive analysis of our HINAD mass media campaign (Homosexuality Is Not A Disease) and its impact in the media.
Friends of LebMASH is born! Friends of LebMASH is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization based in New York. Based on the principles of LebMASH, FOLebMASH supports research, awareness and policy based initiatives that advocate for the advancement of the health and well-being of LGBTQ individuals and other marginalized communities from Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East North Africa Region.
LebMASH’s president Dr. Suha Ballout, and board member Dr. Omar Fattal presented a poster titled: “First Do No Harm: Examining Sexual Orientation Change Efforts in Lebanon” at the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) annual conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference was also atetnded by Johnny Zakhour, this year’s Break the Silence competition winner.
