The first time he said it, his face was so passive I didn't register what he was saying.

"Did you get that?" Georges asked me. "They raped him."

We were sitting in the courtyard of Helem, the Lebanese gay rights organization located in a beautiful French colonial building not far...

It's New Years Eve in Beirut, and everyone is wondering what to do. If this were a war, the answer would be easy. In times of war, going about one's usual business can be a form of protest. In times of solidarity, the code of conduct is vague.

Five...