Mission & Goals

Al-Qaws aspires to play a pioneering role in the building of an open Palestinian society that respects the diversity and humanity of all its members. Our vision is that of a society that internalizes the non-hierarchical diversity of sexual and gender identity. We believe that in such a society, social openness will serve as a source of freedom and creativity.

Our Mission

Our mission is to contribute towards building an active Palestinian LGBTQ community that is capable of challenging Palestinian civil society to become more inclusive and respectful. We also envision a Palestinian society that embraces a non-hierarchical outlook on sexual and gender diversity. We view our mission as intersecting with a wider movement to create an open and accepting society that celebrates diversity in all its forms.

It is our ambition in alQaws to strengthen and promote our organization as a polarizing and diverse space.  We also aim to focus and support the intellectual and creative resources in the Palestinian LGBTQ and allied community by providing a safe, active space to meet and engage in intellectual discussions. We aim to do that by developing the capacities and leadership skills of activists; by reinforcing a culture of activism, by encouraging community members to take active roles in their communities, and by strengthening the solidarity bonds with the wider sexual rights movement and campaigning for societal change and transformation towards an open, responsible dialogue around gender and sexual diversity.

Our Goals

• To contribute to the building of a Palestinian LGBTQ community based on activism and to integrate this community within the public sphere at various levels; 
• To help destabilize established structures that serve to reinforce gendered norms in order to orient our society in a direction that encompasses our values;
• To deepen the level of social awareness and positive response to new ideas that evolve freely at a distance from age-old entrenched principles such as the power of a centralized discourse, and to empower among individuals the feeling of responsibility and partnership within society;
• To participate in the development of an alternative vision for our sexual and gender identities, that is firmly rooted in the specific culture and history of our society.