I hope you're ready for some LGBTQ+ Art! Today we'll be focusing on Arab World, or Institut de Monde Arab in French. Located in Paris, this museum is shifting the focus of its collections to LGBTQ+ perspectives, specifically those from the Middle East where these identities are suppressed. Previously, it was focused on Arab perspectives, such as the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy land of those who practice and believe in Islam. However, in September 2022, they opened up a new exhibit called "Habibi: Love Revolution". It features a variety of LGBTQ+ artists who identify as Arab and are from the Middle East and North Africa. The exhibit will be running until February 19th in the museum.

This exhibit is not just a beautiful display of art that resonates with LGBTQ+ people, but also a place for artists to showcase their work in a respected space. Many of the artists that contributed artwork are originally from the Middle East. In their home countries, their identity, expression, and artwork are not respected, but rather violently and brutally targeted. That is why the exhibit is so important, as it has allowed them to continue creating art and showcasing it. This thinking was integral in the planning and early ideas for the exhibit.

I will warn you, this exhibit has some mature content, so if you plan on making a trip to the Institut de Monde Arab to view it, please be wary of this. Along the same vein, if you are interested in viewing it and will be in Paris before February 19th, the exhibit has been made accessible to all people although the artists come from similar ethnic backgrounds. Many of the captions for the pieces have been translated to be more accessible for all people and also to showcase the disappointing fact that the Arabic language does not really incorporate many queer ideas. Nevertheless, some artists have taken advantage of this fact and utilized it as part of their exhibits.

Welcome to another issue of This Month's Focus where we talk about people or a person who has done a lot for the world and the community. In this month's issue, we will be talking about Cindy Pham.

Cindy Pham, also known as withcindy on YouTube, is an American book YouTuber and art designer who reviews books lightheartedly. She has also evaluated and commented on music, television, and movies, particularly adaptations. She is well-known in the BookTube community for her dark and snarky humor, witty book reviews, and incredibly entertaining movie and series discussions.

Cindy just came out to her viewers as queer in a video titled "Is queerbaiting acceptable critique or gatekeeping? (Kit Connor from Heartstopper, YA authors, and me)". In this video, she discussed authors and actors accused of queerbaiting and defined what it means, as well as how it has become disconnected to what it is intended to communicate in the community. She also discussed her journey of finding her entire identity and sexuality after believing she had it all figured out as a heterosexual ally. After meeting a woman, her whole life became devoted to finding and recreating herself as a queer person. She educated herself in the community and has contributed to educating more people. Her journey started with "I am totally straight." to "So, I met a woman, and I love her so much." and has been a total 180 of what she thought she was, and we love that for her!

Cindy has made several witty comments, brilliant jokes, relevant comedy, and personality contributions. But she did more than just make her audience laugh; she donated to several charities and helped needy people. She has become not just an entertainer but also a tremendous ally and comrade to the LGBTQIA+ and book communities.

She has many more videos on YouTube that are highly beneficial to anyone who wants to de-stress from the outside world. She has also begun writing a book, so follow up with her progress if you are interested. You may find her on YouTube as "withcindy".