I offer specialized training programs designed to foster a more inclusive and equitable workplace culture using intersectional and decolonial tools. My Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) training focuses on transforming organizational culture by addressing the ways in which multiple forms of discrimination intersect and are rooted in colonial histories. These sessions equip employees and leaders with the knowledge and skills to recognize and challenge systemic biases, promote equality, and create a work environment where everyone’s diverse identities are acknowledged and respected.
I also provide training programs focused on developing client-centric services and programs that prioritize Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) through an intersectional and decolonial approach. I work with organizations to integrate inclusive practices into their programs, ensuring that services are accessible, culturally sensitive, and responsive to the diverse, intersecting needs of their clients. This training empowers organizations to serve their communities more effectively, create programs that are genuinely inclusive, and foster an environment that challenges colonial legacies and uplifts all individuals.
I provide in-depth context analysis to support organizations, researchers, and advocates in developing interventions that are culturally relevant, politically informed, and grounded in intersectional realities. This service includes a comprehensive exploration of the political context, asking critical questions like “Why now?” to unpack the timing and motivations behind political backlash against queer and/or other marginalized communities. I examine the legal framework through a layered lens, considering constitutional rights, ratified international conventions, local legislation, and administrative practices to map how these intersect to shape access to rights and protections. My analysis also dives into the socio-economic landscape, with attention to class disparities, access to justice, education, and health services, drawing on case studies from across the region, including Lebanon and Jordan. Furthermore, I interrogate social and colonial norms, tracing how gender, class, citizenship, indigeneity, and religion continue to influence policy and societal behavior through legacies of colonial rule and entrenched power structures. My approach ensures that every analysis is not only grounded in regional specificity, but also attuned to the lived realities of those most affected.
In today's diverse workplace, addressing issues related to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) is crucial, yet many organizations still struggle with the language and concepts surrounding these topics. My contextualized workshops are specifically designed for agencies, organizations, and businesses that are unfamiliar with or hesitant to engage in discussions about gender identity and sexual orientation.
While many workplaces have policies in place to prevent discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, the sensitivity of these issues within local contexts often leads to avoidance. This lack of open dialogue can result in the marginalization and discrimination of underrepresented staff members and clients, perpetuating a cycle of isolation within the workplace.
The primary goal of these facilitated conversations is to uncover and address the attitudes of both staff and management towards SOGIESC issues within your organization. By creating a safe and inclusive space for dialogue, we explore topics such as pre-colonial gender norms, the origins of biases, and media representation, allowing participants to gain a deeper understanding of the policies and regulations that protect individuals with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. This reflection helps staff and management recognize the importance of actively practicing these policies daily, fostering an environment of acceptance and respect for all employees and clients.
Furthermore, this workshop equips management with the tools needed to develop effective reporting mechanisms, ensuring that discriminatory behavior is addressed promptly and appropriately. Drawing from extensive experience, I have successfully facilitated conversations on a range of topics, including codes of conduct, organizational policies, discrimination reporting, gender-segregated spaces, and the creation of gender-inclusive environments.
Workplaces don’t exist in a vacuum. With political discourse across the world shifting further to the right, ideologies rooted in racism, misogyny, and anti-diversity are on the rise. Conversations around anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, or anti-trans sentiments are more urgent than ever, yet many organizations remain unsure how to engage. Too often, the result is silence.
That silence comes at a cost. Even when non-discrimination or anti-harassment policies exist, local sensitivities mean staff and leadership often avoid the harder conversations. The impact? Underrepresented employees and clients feel isolated, excluded, and unprotected.
My sessions are designed to break that cycle. I create safe and inclusive spaces where staff and management can unpack the political realities shaping attitudes in their workplace. Together we explore histories and norms, the roots of bias, and the role of media representation, always linking these discussions back to your own policies and regulations.
The outcome is practical and transformative: a workforce that not only knows the rules on paper but also understands how to live them every day. These conversations help build a culture of dignity, respect, and belonging for everyone.
With over 13 years of experience, I have facilitated dialogues on codes of conduct, organizational integrity, discrimination, and reporting mechanisms, tailoring each session to the specific context. The result is a workplace better equipped to face political and social realities with confidence and care.
I offer engaging and thought-provoking lectures, talks, and panel discussions on gender and sexual diversity, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. My presentations have been hosted by universities, international organizations, and UN agencies, and address critical themes such as queer migration, asylum processes, xenophobia, pinkwashing, and orientalism.
These conversations are essential, especially in contexts where discourse around Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) remains limited or misrepresented. By bringing these topics into spaces often shaped by cultural and institutional bias, I aim to deepen understanding and encourage critical dialogue among students, practitioners, and professionals in the human rights and development sectors.
This lecture unpacks pinkwashing as a strategic Israeli state practice that showcases LGBTQIA+ rights to project a progressive image internationally, while simultaneously concealing the ongoing occupation, apartheid, and systemic violence against Palestinians. It explores how queer rights are co-opted into state propaganda (homonationalism) and calls for a solidarity framework that centers both queer liberation and anti-colonial resistance.
An exploration of how independent music scenes in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria challenge dominant social norms around gender, sexuality, and politics. By amplifying queer voices and addressing taboo subjects, these artists create radical spaces of resistance and expression in a region shaped by censorship and conservatism.
This lecture highlights the strength and resilience of LGBTQ refugees across the MENA region as they navigate restrictive legal systems, labor exclusion, and social marginalization. Far from passive, queer refugees actively build networks of care, assert their identities, and advocate for justice in deeply challenging environments.
Focusing on LGBTQ refugees rebuilding their lives in Europe and the U.S., this session explores the complexities of integration, cultural displacement, and the search for belonging. It highlights the ways queer Arabs negotiate identity, resist marginalization, and shape new forms of community and visibility across borders.
*There is also an option to customize lectures on specific LGBTQ topics of interest.