Lebanese Laïque Pride, also Laïque Pride, Laic Pride, or Secular Pride, is a Lebanese secularist protest movement. The movement consists of various religious and social groups that are united in their call for

secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion. It is most commonly thought of as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state and may be broadened ...

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

, and

media freedom Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is int ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. They advocate for "equality among all Lebanese citizens and the separation of religion and politics." The group is opposed to political

sectarianism Sectarianism is a debated concept. Some scholars and journalists define it as pre-existing fixed communal categories in society, and use it to explain political, cultural, or Religious violence, religious conflicts between groups. Others conceiv ...

and confessionalism in Lebanon. Founded in either 2009 or 2010, "Lebanese Laique Pride" was originally created as a

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discussion thread on sectarianism. Within a matter of months, the group organized peaceful marches against sectarianism in Lebanon and in favor of "secular Lebanon." The event serves as a platform for activists to advocate for the importance of secularism, equality, and freedom of religion in Lebanon, to ensure wider tolerance across the country. In April 2010, more than 5,000 people participated in a Laïque Pride rally, calling for "an end to the country's deep-rooted sectarian system" and for a "secular Lebanon." The rally was inspired by the San Francisco gay pride marches of the 1970s, which were all about the announcement of presence and demanding rights. In the Lebanese case, their pride was about declaring the presence of and telling everyone about the existence of secular people in Lebanon whose needs were not being met. Initial demands of the movement include the enactment of a civil marriage law independent of any religious sects. Within the organization of the march, according to Maya Mikdashi, tensions regarding the inclusion of LGBTQ rights in the rally had arose due to a split within the leadership regarding possibly alienating major parts of Lebanese society in the promotion of secularism in Lebanon, due to a perceived "larger trend of homophobia" in Lebanon. In May 2012, the movement issued demands, of which four were concerning women's rights and two were concerning media freedom. Laïque Pride also supports the enacting of a unified Civil Code for the Personal Status Law.

References

https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1039085/la-laicite-optionnelle-est-un-droit-constitutionnel.html La laïcité optionnelle est un droit constitutionnel, par Jacques MACHAALANI, 7/3/2017 OLJ Retrieved 2017 03 09 http://fritanke.no/index.php?page=vis_nyhet&NyhetID=7022 Sekulært opprør i Libanon av Even Gran Publisert: 28.04.2010 kl 08:12 Oppdatert: 28.04.2010 kl 09:58 OPPDATERT 30.4 Retrieved 2017 03 09 http://majlis-remomm.fr/date/2010/0
Liban: Un laïcitomètre dans le rouge. 29 avril 2010André Sleiman
Retrieved 2017 03 09 http://www.atheologie.ca/blogue-012/ La libre pensée au Liban, par David Rand 2014 11 19 Retrieved 2017 03 09 http://www.secularism.org.uk/blog/2012/05/asking-the-impossible-lebanons-march-for-secularism Asking the impossible? Lebanon's march for secularism Posted: Tue, 8 May 2012 16:38 by Alex Rowell 2017 03 09 http://www.20minutes.fr/monde/diaporama-1113-photo-503705-laique-pride-a-beyrouth Publié le 25 Avril 2010 Retrieved 2017 03 09 http://leclairon.blog.lemonde.fr/2010/02/08/liban-sortir-du-systeme-confessionnel
Liban : sortir du système confessionnel ?
8 février 2010 Retrieved 2017 03 09 http://savatier.blog.lemonde.fr/2012/09/24/liban-2012-26-le-retour-des-vieux-demons/ Liban 2012 (2/6) : Le retour des vieux démons ? 24 septembre 2012, par Thierry Savatier Retrieved 2017 03 09 Electoral reform Organizations with year of establishment missing Political advocacy groups in Lebanon Protests in Lebanon Reform movements Secularism in Lebanon Secularist organizations Women in Lebanon Women's rights in the Middle East {{Poli-org-stub

See also

References

Further reading