The Near and Middle East means more to me than just the understanding of culture and society. This field comes with a deeper personal connection: a partial loss of one’s identity, and the sudden upheaval of a family from their roots because of regional tensions. Events in my formative years have led me to yearn for a greater understanding of my cultural heritage. These factors, among others, is why I chose to embark in the study of Near and Middle East. Since then, i pursued independent research on Palestinian Queer politics and studying human behavior of the communities at Socotra Island by means of first-hand observation.