Egyptian communist & LGBT activist Sarah Hegazi has taken her own life in Canada. In September 2017, the Egyptian government conducted the biggest homophobic crackdown on the LGBT community in years. Sarah, among other activists, was arrested for raising the rainbow flag at a Mashrou’ Leila’s concert in Cairo. She was tortured, sexually harassed and assaulted in prison, as well as being fired from her job. The traumatic experience continued to haunt her in Canada, where she lived in exile after being granted asylum.

The above image is the suicide note she left, it reads: "To my siblings, I have tried to find salvation and I failed, forgive me. To my friends, the journey was cruel and I am too weak to resist, forgive me. To the world, you were cruel to a great extent, but I forgive you.“

“السما احلى من الارض! وانا عاوزه السما مش الارض"

“the sky is more beautiful than earth! and i want the sky not earth”

Rest in power, Sarah Hegazi!

Hegazi was released pending trial to find that her family and her neighbors had rejected her and she was fired from her job. Society “welcomed” what happened to her, she wrote in Daaarb.com last March.  

“The Egyptian middle class leans towards the socially and religiously conservative right. It supports state decisions to impose guardianship on the society … they practice social stigma [against anyone who] revolts against this oppressive patriarchal culture that is based on oppressing women, workers, and religious and sexual minorities,” Hegazi wrote.  

“It is the loudest class in society, so exposing and criticizing it is a duty.”

Her words would prove prescient in explaining her life’s struggle and the unsympathetic reaction to her death. “[The middle class] laid the foundation for hate, psychological and physical violence, sexual harassment and bullying,” she added.

Hegazi traveled to Canada months after her release, but never seemed to escape what had happened.

“Sarah left Egypt two years ago, but Egypt and its trauma didn’t leave her alone,” her friend Salama wrote on Facebook. 

Though asylum in Canada provided safety from prison, it was taxing in other ways. Her mother died of cancer shortly after she left and her inability to be close to her and her younger siblings at the time took a toll on her, she said. 

She said she suffered from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks and loneliness.  The electroconvulsive therapy she underwent in Cairo and Toronto caused memory loss, she wrote in Mada Masr in 2018. She stuttered, was terrified and attempted suicide twice. 

In honor of 19-year-old Simone Biles being named Woman Of The Year by ESPN. 

She won a record four gold medals at the Olympics. She’s untouchable!

Congratulations!

Amo estar solo y hacer cosas sola (desayunar, almorzar, ver series, etc), así que si te digo/acepto en hacer algo con vos es porque realmente la paso bien

What is this place between hopeless romantic and strong independent individual

It’s spending your weekends entertaining no one but yourself. It’s getting misty eyed at the thought of growing old alone. It’s strolling around the city wearing earbuds while people watching. It’s cherishing your platonic friendships and not secretly wanting more. It’s coming up with a funny joke late at night and wishing you had someone to share it with before you forget. It’s arriving and leaving parties whenever you feel like it. It’s a romantic song playing and you wishing it were socially acceptable to slow dance on your own. It’s rolling to the cold side of the bed when the morning sun tickles your face. It’s getting sleepy while driving late at night and pulling over at almost every stop to grab a coffee. It’s the excitement of walking into a bar and scanning the room. It’s the late nights spent wondering if love is reserved for the deserving. It’s shaking those thoughts off in the morning because you know what you deserve. 

It’s looking around the empty room when you’re crying and laughing with a new set of characters at 3 am to look for someone to share that feeling with and then quickly realising you don’t want to share this story with another person at all

It’s the lightness that you experience as you look up at the night sky or the city lights and find yourself mesmerized in silence; and for that brief moment, you feel relieved that no one else is there to interrupt your private thoughts. It’s the warmth in your stomach when you get ready each morning and wonder, “what if I meet someone new today?” And it’s the bittersweet comfort you feel, trickle down your throat, when you come home alone and conclude that you weren’t quite ready for that yet anyway. It’s sitting by the window every morning with a cup of tea and quietly watching as the steam glides across the glass and flushes against your skin. And it’s the empowerment of getting to experiment with yourself and become someone new without worry of displeasing a significant other.

It’s the watching movies alone and skipping parts and not feeling guilty about it. It’s weird and wholesome. You share a part of yourself with every lonely traveller. It’s dancing alone in your room. And having a million pillows on your bed. It’s warm and it’s open and inviting. It’s like childhood all over again. Want to collect pebbles? Sure? Want to be a friend. Here hold my hand. It’s okay to say goodbye! I’m excited. Maybe a little sad. But still who knows what the next second brings?

It’s the rustling quit of the night and you read poetry to yourself in the warm glow of candlelight. All are welcome! Stay for a while. Take my hand.

It’s the ache of the warmth of a dream you had of someone holding you, but waking up alone. It’s the constant battle between yearning and contentment. It’s being touch starved but shrinking away from physical affection. It’s looking up at the sky and hurting. It’s beautiful things making you a little sad. It’s not fully understanding yourself but knowing you’re the only person who can handle you at your worst. It’s wanting someone, anyone to truly see you, but not wanting people to see the pain in your eyes. It’s itching for adventure, recklessness, something more, but being caged. It’s wanting to be known but feeling unknowable. Its the feeling of missing someone you’ve never met. It’s music clawing at your throat trying to be released. It’s wanting…..always wanting. An itch you can’t scratch. Just out of your reach….. it’s unbearable. But you bear it.

Singing sad romantic songs by the windowsill and dancing to beats at the same night without worrying about waking anyone. Being touch starved but also not wanting to be too attached to anyone. It’s wanted to share your excitement with someone about the show you watched 15 times and cried each time but it would feel like a betrayal if they don’t appreciate it the same way

It’s pulling your blanket a little bit tighter on cold nights while wishing there were arms around you, but waking up glad you don’t owe your time to anyone while snuggling in with a good book.

It’s listening to music quietly while reading romance novels with a cup of tea in a storm, content but longing for that connection with someone, at the same time thankful that you can feel again.

it’s looking out the window from your dorm room and seeing distant streetlights through the mist that looks like a city on the other bank of a river that is the night. it’s a dim laptop screen and moonlight being the only illumination in the room. it’s your roommate coming back kinda giggly and sad and speaking in low tones with voice raspy from the joints. it’s the silence that you speak to her best in and when she lets out a sigh, it’s a click of the lighter and the sound of the cigarette crinkling as you take a deep drag. it’s the line formed by the silhouette of your arm as you hand it to her to take and she accepts with a watery smile

it’s the muted sound of videogame shooting and pitter patter of typing out an essay as the cigarette is passed

It is eating your breakfast alone, reading and writing withou having to think about lunch. It is laughing at your own silly jokes and contemplating the waves at the beach. Is feeling pretty and beeing pretty just for yourself, just for the power and individuality it brings you. It is playing the guitar badly but enjoying every single seccond of it. And at the end of the day, even if you loved doing all of that alone, you wish you could share these moments, write with someone, be at the sea with someone, wake up at night with someone. But you dont know yet who.

it’s the yearning for love as you learn to love yourself along the way.

The signs’ biggest fears and insecurities.

Aquarius: that they are replaceable, unmemorable, and that they don’t offer anything new.

Pisces: that they are too much for everyone, that no one will understand their intense feelings.

Aries: that they’ll lose those they love through an outburst, that they add chaos to others’ lives in a bad way, that they’re too much.

Taurus: that their friends will like someone more than them, that their plans will not work as they wanted to, that their lives will become chaotic.

Gemini: that people are talking behind their backs, that their effort will go unnoticed, that they’ll never be loved as hard as they love.

Cancer: that they are annoying those around them, that they are as unattractive/unnecessary as they believe sometimes.

Leo: that people can see through their confident act, that they’re replaceable or annoying, that they will end up alone.

Virgo: that their hard work will surmount to nothing, that their friends will suffer because of them, that advice they gave to someone will go badly.

Libra: that someone will be upset with them/confront them about it, that they will make those close to them unhappy.

Scorpio: that their insecurities about their relationships will ring true, that they are not unique or special in any way.

Sagittarius: that people will see through their confidence, that they will be trapped or tied down, that they are disliked.

Capricorn: that they are wrong, that they cannot control any situation, that they are weak minded or stupid.

The signs as Harry Styles, camp icon (tour looks)

Aries:

Taurus:

Gemini:

Cancer:

Leo:

Virgo:

Libra:

Scorpio:

Sagittarius:

Capricorn:

Aquarius:

Pisces*:

(*the sheer glittery pussybow blouse, too, but nothing captures the full look)

bad habits the signs are prone to

aries:

taurus: 

gemini:

cancer:

leo:

virgo:

libra:

scorpio:

sagittarius:

capricorn: 

aquarius:

pisces:

zodiac signs as a flowers

Aries - SUNFLOWER. You show outstanding activity, energies and initiative. You are open to changes and new experiences, you can be impulsive and excitable, you are an optimist.

Taurus - VIOLET. You are calm, patient, determined, practical, stubborn and resistant to change. You value the accumulation of material goods and cling to your property. You love everything that is harmonious and beautiful.

Gemini - LAVENDER. You are guided in your life with the mind, pushing your feelings to the background. You are lively, versatile intellectual. You can easily adapt to new situations. You like traveling and changes

Cancer - LILY. You are open, sensitive, sympathetic, polite and very emotional. You have imagination and an active, bright and intuitive mind. In an unpleasant environment or when you fail, you become closed, beautiful and inaccessible. You are obsessively worried about your future

Leo - ORCHID. The marigold is enthusiastic, effusive and creative, generous and extravagant. You are brave, sometimes lazy. You have nobility and pride. You are affectionate, kind and cordial, you love all of humanity. Natural simplicity.

Virgo - HYDRANGEA. You are secretive, modest, practical, fastidious and hardworking, analytical and meticulous, looking for knowledge and understanding. You are a perfectionist, your motto is work and self-improvement. You can easily adapt to new conditions, you are flexible.

Libra - ROSE. You are active, artistic, understanding, consistent, you value beauty and harmony, you are also diplomatic, elegant and sociable. You have a passion for indulging yourself and for luxury. You demonstrate great intelligence and imagination.

Scorpio - TULIP. You are passionate and emotional, subtle and persistent. Besides, you are endowed with great imagination. You have a lot of will power that you can use. You emanate with strong magnetism, fill you with energy and violence of feelings

Sagittarius - DAISY. You are energetic, ambitious and generous. you love freedom and are looking for challenges, you are open to new ideas and discovering the unknown. You are happy, if you can discover new ideas, explore distant places, you are the soul of the party.

Capricorn - CARNATION. You are mysterious, prudent, patient, you are looking for security, you are greedy, disciplined, determined, you can quickly take advantage of occasions. You are looking for praise and acceptance, but you tend to be secretive

Aquarius - PEONY. You are assertive, independent, progressive, analytical, original, resourceful and unforgiving. You are also idealistic and kind. Helping others gives you pleasure, you like to consider all “for” and “against”.

Pisces - LILAC. You are open, intuitive, emotional, imaginative, romantic, vulnerable, also mystical, you are very changeable. Dreams are your everyday life, you must trust your intuition and feelings, otherwise you will not realize your dreams and plans, you can not lose faith in yourself.

the signs as types of love

(check sun and venus)

eros (romantic love): libra, scorpio

philia (affectionate love): taurus, leo

storge (companionship love): capricorn

agape (unconditional love): cancer, pisces

pragma (practical love): virgo

ludus (playful love): sagittarius, aquarius

mania (obsessive love): gemini, aries

the signs as girlfriends 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

aries - teases you all the time, makes you laugh, random screaming 📢, your #1 supporter, tons of compliments, needs a lot of love and understanding and patience

taurus - homey, thinks of a future with you, wants to sit down with you and a cup of tea and listen to your hopes and dreams, can seem shy or unsure but they will want to take the lead sometimes, food as love language

gemini - introduces you to all their friends, *been inseparable for six months* are we in a relationship?, wont tell you but they’re in love with you, breaks all their rules for you, takes you out on fun dates

cancer - low maintenance but demanding with cuddles and kisses, loves affection, good morning and good night texts, loves to cook for you, knows all your favorite songs

leo - demands affection, there for you through ups and downs, if they like you you’re special, dominant, has many interesting qualities, love you passionately and wholeheartedly

virgo - shows you new songs, great kisser, always has good advice ready, best friend type of a gf, someone you can trust with anything, very understanding, good date ideas

libra - small gestures, very thoughtful and caring, asks how you’re feeling, worries about you, good listener, remembers small details about you

scorpio - a passionate lover, very cute with you, silly, stares at you then looks away, loves to make you smile, puts in the effort, intelligent and funny

sagittarius - leaves love notes in your apartment for you to read and smile at after a long day, bakes you heart shaped cookies, wants to travel the world with you

capricorn - tries to play it cool when they’re in love, needs a lot of validation, shows you that they care through actions instead of words, lowkey wants to marry you asap

aquarius - intense eye contact, closeness, supports you 100%, always has your back, shows you their weird side, surprises you with creative gifts, inappropriate jokes

pisces - writes you love letters, texts you constantly, wants to tell you everything, dreams about a future with you, passionate and over the top kind of love

VIRGO,ESCORPIO,LEO,ACUARIO, CAPRICORNIO,LIBRA.

-Chica Virgo

Géminis, Escorpio, Aries, Capricornio, virgo, acuario.

-halsey16

-VIRGO,ACUARIO,ESCORPIO,CAPRICORNIO ,GEMINIS,SAGITARIO.

Mi respeto no se pide, se gana

Aries, Escorpio, Virgo, Sagitario, Capricornio, Géminis

Exacto -Markus

PISCIS,CAPRICORNIO,TAURO,VIRGO.

VIRGO,CAPRICORNIO,ARIES,TAURO.