For Arab Lesbians, a Place to Dance Freely

This article, written by Michael T. Luongo, appeared on New York Times on May 18,2012

AN unusually cold May evening left much of Greenwich Village looking abandoned, but inside Henrietta Hudson, Arabian desert rhythms were entrancing patrons. The lesbian bar was hosting the inaugural Banaat, the female offshoot of the gay Arab dance event Habibi.

“We love eclectic world music, but we never did a Middle East party,” said Lisa Graziano, an owner of the bar. “Now, we can give lesbians a choice.”

Inside the tinsel strewed bar, the event’s organizer, Abraham, who wanted to give only his first name, searched through books filled with CDs. “In the Middle East, they’ll play a lot of English music,” he said. “I only play Arabic.”

READ MORE AT New York Times

*Photo Credit: OlivierJD