“My.Kali” Jordanian Gay Magazine

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Bekhsoos team interviewed Khalid, the spokesperson behind My.Kali.mag, a gay-themed magazine:

What is “My.Kali.Mag”? When was the idea born?
My.Kali.mag is a monthly magazine with weekly and daily news uploading throughout the month. We launched our first cover in February 2008. The name of the magazine was picked by friends around me who called me Kali as a nickname, so why not naming it after a person who was “supposedly” the gayest scandal in the history of Jordan, after the press was all over Jordan having a gay magazine.  A few months later, this is what the magazine became. My.Kali.mag sets a good example for people to look up to and respect, and that’s what it’s all about: respect. However, the word “My” came from my struggle of finding privacy that I have lacked in the past and in my life in general which completed the word My.Kali.

Who works on “My.Kali.Mag”?
A group of people are behind My.Kali.mag with contributions from international and local writers, cover designers, models, artists we feature, and everyone in between.  It’s not the most perfect magazine ever, but we’re growing from day to day and getting better at publishing.

What are the goals of “My.Kali.Mag”?
The magazine’s goal is to give Arab LGBTs a second chance to love themselves and give us a better image to look up to. We feature advice that is written especially for the Middle Eastern mind and a global view of how we need to work to get closer to a Middle Eastern enlightenment around homosexuality.

Why is the Arabic language absent in “My.Kali.Mag”?
My answer has the feeling of guilt written all over it! It is an issue to notice and be worked on indeed. Arabic is our mother tongue and it needs to be included in an Arab-based magazine.  A lot of the writers the magazine feature prefer to write in English, but I think it’s time to work on the language and pay more attention to it. We have already included an article in Arabic about the homosexual identity in the Middle East. Hopefully, we’ll include more in the near future.

What does “My.Kali.Mag.” talk about?
A lot of the articles My.Kali includes are based on the readers’ concerns or issues they face in their lives. Many are also based on issues general to us in the Middle East.  Our discussions include social discrimination, teen and tween issues, religion, and so on. We hold the responsibility to include what everyone needs to read, not what they want to read. Sometimes, we can’t help but looping around controversial matters that need to be spoken of.

What about “My.Kali.”‘s  readers?

In Jordan’s gay community, our magazine is well-known – at least from what I hear! The magazine also receives letters from all around the world, from the Europe to Latin America. It makes me happy to mention that, it gives us all a lot of pride and motivation to keep going. My.Kali.mag keeps up with the readers’ concerns, age groups and people with different sexual interests so we could cover up what is mostly required for the local and the international public.

What are the obstacles facing “My.Kali”?
Well, so far we received nothing but support and uplifting letters and emails from all around the world. The world’s media is giving the magazine a chance to pop at its best which is very exciting, something that leaves you with positive and hopeful anticipation.

What plans do you have to improve “My.Kali”?
As a magazine we always hold the opportunity to improve in many ways. Our priorities are the website and designs, as well as more variety in the content and cover styles. So improvements come in small steps, as we go along.

Any plans for a printed version of the magazine?
That is a notion to dream of, walking up to a magazine stand and picking up My.Kali’s glossy along with the rest of the groceries. It’s our hope down the line, but in the meantime, we’re an online magazine trying to reach everyone and be within reach wherever you are and whenever you need it.

What plans do you have for “My.Kali.”‘s future?
To establish a stable ground for the magazine, for the writers, and for the readers.  We do include a lot of both, Middle Eastern and western faces into this magazine, but we’d like to show what our lands have as well, which is potential, beauty, acceptance, love and fighting for what you and I believe in.

A final word to the readers of “Bekhsoos”?
We, the team of My.Kali.mag, would like to thank all the people who supported our work, our progress and our stands, even the people who are reading this interview, that means you care to know, and as we go along the way, we hold on to your beliefs, to your concerns and help you through them, as God gives us the will to do so and move forward to what’s socially better.

You can visit My.Kali magazine here: http://mykali.weebly.com/

Tags: jordan, magazine