LAUSR

In the past decade, Lebanon, a small country in theMiddle East, has witnessed significant developments with respect to mental health advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons. These advances have taken place due to the interplay between civil society entities, including nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and professional organizations, and to a lesser extent due to the contributions of academic centers and targeted government programs. In this column we detail the milestones that Lebanon has achieved with respect to LGBT mental health care. We examine how these achievements were realized, with a special focus on the role of the key players who were involved. Finally, we discuss the lessons learned from the experience of collaborative advocacy in Lebanon and draw parallels between these efforts and similar endeavors in the United States over the past four decades. We conclude with recommendations for ongoing LGBTmental health promotion in Lebanon and potentially the rest of the Arab world.