My imaginary Lebanon
Once upon the time, there was a Lebanese mother of two, who cared for her children, Antoine and Antonella, and tried to raise them to love each others and take care of each others.
Antonella, was a transgender, she was loved by all, beautiful, humble, had a high sense of humor, lived like a diva, wore the best high heels in town.
Antoine, was a constipated straight guy, he didn’t find his place in the gay community because of his ugly character and closeted case, and had no sense of FAB.
They grew together, Antonella tried her best to let her brother embrace the love of life, but he always refused it. Jealousy have blinded his eyes and heart from seeing the love Antonella had for him. All he could see was the love of people towards his sister and always envied her for that. He never understood the fact of him not being popular like her. People loved her genuinely. She always managed to grab attention wherever she was, while him, nobody looked at him in her presence.
Antoine decided to run for municipality one day. Antonella was there for him, and she played a major role in his campaign, people voted for him because they loved her so much. But Antoine couldn’t really appreciate that cause his heart was full of hatred.
He hated her so much till he became homophobic against every Fabulous person. It’s not true that gay people are harmless, he used to say, they are malicious, they forbid me of people’s love. He never knew that people could see the hatred in him and his incapacity of loving, and therefore could not love him like they love Antonella, who loved life, loved people, and was humble and glamorous in the same time.
One day, Antoine thought of his position as head of the municipality, and thought to use it for his own personal interest, by revenging from Antonella, so he decided to close Ghost, a place where she used to gather with her friends to have some fun and change some mood, and humiliate his sister in front of people, he conducted her to the police stations of the municipality without having any legitimacy for such an act, removed her clothes, and took pictures of her beautiful body, thinking that people would be disgusted.
What Antoine ignored this time, is that people stood more than ever with Antonella, they cried for seeing her being humiliated in that way, having her body violated, seeing a brother doing such a thing to his sister, making her suffer verbal violence by ignorant policemen, who hit her, and raped her dignity.
What Antoine ignored also, was the fact that Antonella is not weak, she will never have her pride broken, she will never go submissive by force. Antonella this time knew that her brother needs to be taught a lesson. Antonella will take off her high heels and make sure it leaves a mark on Antoine’s head, just because she loved him and she needs him to wake up of his hatred mode.
Let us all be Antonella…
By Joseph Aoun
