Rauda Morcos
As co-founder and General Coordinator of Aswat (“voices” in Arabic), Morcos is realizing her dream of achieving social change and helping women become liberated. Morcos is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, who in 2002 evolved the Palestinian Gay Women’s email list into Aswat, a safe space for lesbians to empower each other. Morcos was outed by an Israeli newspaper, making her the most visible lesbian in the region, thus unemployable. A long-time activist and educator, Morcos turned a life-endangering situation into an opportunity by volunteering her time to Aswat until they had funds to hire her in 2004. In May 2006 she was honored by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and this March ran the first Home and Exile and Queer Experience Conference. “It was a great success despite threats from fundamental movements condemning our work. A dialogue was opened that had been silenced within the community.” –DP
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