HRSS - This Queer Arab Family - US Book Launch

The City of West Hollywood’s HUMAN RIGHTS SPEAKERS SERIES presents
Elias Jahshan: This Queer Arab Family
Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 7:00 – 8:30pm
Free Admission. RSVP Required.
The City of West Hollywood is proud to host Elias Jahshan for the US book launch event of his new book, This Queer Arab Family (Saqi Books). This Queer Arab Family is a bold and celebratory anthology that explores how queer Arabs reimagine family beyond traditional expectations. Edited and compiled by Elias Jahshan, This Queer Arab Family features ten queer writers from across the Arab world and diaspora, with stories that honor chosen kinship, everyday acts of care, and the creativity and resilience that sustain queer Arab communities.

Elias Jahshan will kick off the night with a keynote address that will provide a snapshot of queer Arab life and human rights, and contextualize the work he does as a journalist, writer and editor, followed by a discussion with One Institute and Q&A with the audience. At the conclusion of the event, there will be book signing opportunities. Copies of the book will also be available to purchase.
Special Guest Panelists:
Elias Jahshan, Journalist and Writer
Moderator, TBD - One Institute

West Hollywood City Council Chambers
625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Validated parking will be available at the adjacent 5-story West Hollywood Park structure, limited to availability. Street parking may be available. Rideshare suggested.
Tentative Agenda:
6:30PM - Doors Open
7:00PM - Welcome/Opening Remarks
7:10PM - Keynote Address
7:30PM - Conversation with One Institute
8:00PM - Q&A
8:15PM - Book Signing
8:30PM - Event Concludes
More Information:

Elias Jahshan Bio:
Elias Jahshan (he/him) is a Lebanese-Palestinian journalist and writer, and the editor of groundbreaking anthologies THIS ARAB IS QUEER (2022) and THIS QUEER ARAB FAMILY (2025), both published by Saqi Books. This Arab Is Queer was a 2023 Lambda Literary Awards finalist in the USA and shortlisted for the 2023 Bread & Roses Award in the UK, and has been translated into Italian and soon in French. Elias is also a former editor-in-chief of Star Observer, Australia’s longest-running LGBTQ+ media outlet, and has been published in The Guardian, The New Arab, Gay Times, Attitude, Raseef22, Shado Mag, My Kali, and more. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Elias now lives in London, UK.

More Info About This Queer Arab Family:
In many Arab cultures, family roles are tightly defined, often prioritizing unity over individual desire. This collection asks what happens when queer Arabs challenge those norms and build family on their own terms. Through personal stories ranging from raising children with mum and mum to building unexpected forms of self-expression and joy, the writers reveal how queer life, love and belonging flourish in surprising ways. Fierce, vibrant and unapologetic, This Queer Arab Family celebrates community, survival and joy against the odds.

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