Members of the LGBTIQ+ community in Lebanon have reported that gay hookup app Grindr has stopped working, with a local internet freedom organisation being informed that a ban was enforced in response to an order from Lebanon’s Ministry of Telecom.
However, in a comment to Lebanon's Daily Star, a representative for the government denied having any knowledge of the supposed order.
Despite ongoing uncertainty, local queer organisations took to social media to express their frustration at what is being described as an "attack on freedoms".
In a Facebook post, Beirut Pride organisers wrote: “For some people, the application doesn’t log in; for others, profiles and conversations do not load, unless accessed from a private wifi network.
“This ban is a new attack on the freedoms in Lebanon, and intends to shrink national cyber access on the grounds of our personal and intimate relationships.
“Banning an application on the public, shared network insinuates that the common space refuses to be a space for all. It confines people to the private network (home, cafés and work), thus pushing back Grindr, its users, and the representations of sexual orientation and gender identity back in the closet, behind closed doors.”
Representatives of Beirut Pride continued, saying the suspected censorship represented "an approach of ‘exist but not too much’, ‘live your life away from us’, ‘be private about who you are and don’t impose yourself in the public sphere’."
They added: “This highlights how such decisions are made against a backdrop of disinformation and miscommunication.
“This is why educating ourselves and fostering a proper communication with decision makers are paramount to address and deconstruct myths, lies and prejudice about LGBTIQ+ individuals.”
While homosexuality remains illegal in Lebanon, in 2017 a local judge challenged the legal basis of arresting men for same-sex conduct, setting precedent for future challenges.
In his ruling, Judge Maalouf referred to Article 183, a penal code provision designed to protect freedom of expression, which states that "an act undertaken in exercise of a right without abuse shall not be regarded as an offense."
"If no harm is done, there is no crime", the judge concluded.
