In the wake of Sarah Hegazi’s death on June 14 2020, many Coptic queers and allies reached out asking for resources on Coptic and Egyptian queerness. We compiled the following list as a resource to help us remember and preserve our shared histories, explore contemporary language trends, uphold feminist, queer and intersectional structural analyses, contextualize current events, and highlight emerging LGBTQ+ cultures specifically around the Coptic and Egyptian identity. This compilation is an acknowledgement that oppressive histories did not wipe us out, nor have they discontinued our existence, our culture, or our lives. Here, we seek to elevate our own stories of resistance and joy.
You can access the google document with the list of resources here.
For clarification, when we refer to Copts or Coptic people in this document, we define this as a multi-cultural group from North Africa, mainly Egypt, with a complicated, yet often shared religious, ethnic, and social identity. Although we have a long and complex history, with an inherent diversity of ethnic lineages, current Coptic culture and Coptic identity is largely understood and defined within the framework of Christianity, which largely stigmatizes queer lives. Our goal is to offer an alternative perspective to what Coptic culture is in order to broaden the notion of Coptic identity.
This is a living document, meaning readers can contribute in growing and building it. You can make contributions by suggesting a comment (please include a link with your resource). We are especially seeking resources on trans and non-binary Copts and Egyptians, as well as resources in Arabic.
This list is a collaborative initiative between Coptic Queer Stories, Egypt Migrations, and the many queers and allies we are in community with.
The featured image is of graffiti found on Mohamed Mahmoud Street in Cairo, Egypt. Both the graffiti artist and photographer are unknown.
Egypt Migrations is always looking for people to contribute to our digital initiatives. Please contact team@egyptmigrations.com if you would like to support the organization.
Egypt Migrations 