Fighting to Be Felt: Queer Necropolitics and Self-Defense as Resistance for Trans-Syrian Refugee Sex Workers in Lebanon

Abstract:Trans-Syrian refugee sex workers in Lebanon occupy a unique intersection of compounded vulnerabilities: gender identity, forced displacement, precarious labor, and systemic violence. Engaged in sex work for survival, these women navigate high-risk environments where they endure harassment, assault, and marginalization. This paper explores a self-defense training provided to 10 trans-Syrian refugee women in sex work, examining how they conceptualize self-defense—not only as a physical skill but as a tool for negotiating power in abusive partnerships, safeguarding themselves from violent clients and law enforcement, and mitigating everyday risks. Employing an intersectional framework, it explores how gender identity and refugee status amplify exposure to violence, while queer necropolitics examines how state and societal forces render trans refugees as “disposable” subjects outside legal and humanitarian protections. Additionally, critical refugee studies highlights forced displacement as a site of vulnerability and resistance, where trans-refugee sex workers actively subvert their erasure through embodied self-defense. Participants’ narratives demonstrate that self-defense goes beyond physical protection—it is a strategy to resist violence in sex work, manage abusive intimate relationships, and confront structural conditions of exploitation. This study challenges the victimization of trans refugees, highlighting their agency and the need for policies that address their intersectional realities.Citation: Diab, J. L. and Samneh, B. (2025) ‘Fighting to Be Felt: Queer Necropolitics and Self-Defense as Resistance for Trans-Syrian Refugee Sex Workers in Lebanon’, Journal of Homosexuality, pp. 1–22. doi: 10.1080/00918369.2025.2537833. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit necropolitics.substack.com