Tarab NYC
| Formation | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Bashar Makhay |
| Website | https://tarabnyc.org/ |
Tarab NYC is a volunteer-run non-profit that fosters an inclusive and safe community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and/or gender non-conforming Arab, Middle Eastern, and/or North African people in the greater New York City area. The group organizes programs such as support groups, happy hours, potlucks, drag shows, and advocacy efforts.[1]
History
Tarab NYC was founded in 2012 by Bashar Makhay, who is Chaldean-Iraqi, American, Catholic and gay. When Makhay's sexuality became public at the age of 19, his mother told him to be straight or move out. He decided to leave, and eventually moved to New York.
Post-9/11, Makhay felt unsafe because of Americans' association of Arabs with terrorists. Simultaneously, he was craving community and wanted to challenge the idea that he could only be one identity at a time. He founded Tarab NYC to build a space for queer Arabs outside of the nightclub scene. About 100 attendees show up to every Tarab NYC event.[2][3]
Tarab NYC has been credited as a "powerful protective factor" against feelings of isolation and suicidality amongst the queer Middle Eastern American community.[4]
In 2019, the staff of Tarab NYC was honored at Brooklyn Borough Hall's "Embrace Your Hyphen" event, for its work on behalf of Arabs in Brooklyn.[5]
In 2024, Tarab NYC exhibited a large "Free Palestine" float at the NYC Pride March, chanting "no pride in genocide" and drawing cheers from the crowd.[6] Those marching with the group had participated in a de-escalation training after previously being heckled and chased by counter-protestors at a Pride event in Brooklyn.[7] Diasporic Arab and Muslim queer groups such as Tarab NYC increasingly emerged in the 1990s and 2000s, and were quickly active in the Palestine solidarity movement.[8]
Tarab NYC is a co-host of the annual Color Me Queer, a party for queer and trans BIPOC.[9] During Ramadan, they host an LGBTQ+ Community Iftar at New York's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Community Center, in collaboration with local organizations.[10]
References
- ↑ "Annual LGBTQ+ Community Iftar to Celebrate Joy and Resilience in New York City" (PDF). nyc.gov. March 10, 2025. Retrieved 5.30.26. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ "Gay Arab-Americans find room of their own in NYC". AP News. 2014-05-07. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
- ↑ AP Archive (2015-08-03). LGBT Arab and Middle Eastern Americans facing unique judgments and pressure create a space of their. Retrieved 2026-05-31 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Baitoo, Nicholas (2017). "LGBTQI-Identifying Members of the Middle Eastern-American Community". Columbia Social Work Review. 15 (1): 1–5. doi:10.7916/cswr.v15i1.1851. ISSN 2164-1250.
- ↑ "Heritage day: Arab-Americans honored at Borough Hall's "Embrace Your Hyphen" event • Brooklyn Paper". www.brooklynpaper.com. 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
- ↑ "Protests for Gaza Ring Loud at the New York City Pride March". Hyperallergic. 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ Staff, News (2024-06-28). "As LGBTQ+ Pride's crescendo approaches, tensions over war in Gaza expose rifts". CityNews Halifax. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
- ↑ Schulman, Sarah (2025-04-22). The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-593-85426-6. Search this book on
- ↑ "9 Pride events you should go to in NYC this weekend". The FADER. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
- ↑ Khatib, Khalid El (2018-06-14). "How Queer Muslims Are Working to End Stigma This Ramadan". Them. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
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