Overview

• Alexandre Paulikevitch performed in a dress and wig to a full house at a Beirut theatre after prior threats from fundamentalist groups.
• Venue managers arranged additional police after security forces raised concerns before the show, and no attackers appeared outside.
• Right-wing Christian Soldiers of God and Sunni Islamist groups accuse the dancer of promoting homosexuality because of his stage presentation.
• Paulikevitch describes his work as political resistance and a revival of male dance traditions that were common in the region a century ago.
• Lebanon retains pockets of tolerance yet queer artists face rising crackdowns, with Paulikevitch citing past detention under a vague “against nature” law and a 2020 beating by riot police.