Sbeity is gay, and he stutters, too. Back home, that made him feel like an outsider twice over. In America, he hoped that he’d be able to live more authentically. And indeed, he came to play an important role as a gay man in Utah: Sbeity and his then-partner, Derek Kitchen, were among the plaintiffs in Kitchen v. Herbert, the case that overturned the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Together they also opened Laziz Kitchen, the Lebanese restaurant that became a gathering place for Salt Lake City’s queer community.
Eventually, Sbeity left the restaurant to write poetry, and he found his way back to Islam through the mystical tradition of Sufism. His new memoir is called “Habibi Means Beloved.” Habibi is an expression of belonging, and it’s what he explores in the book.
GUEST –
Moudi Sbeity | Author and poet. His book is called “Habibi Means Beloved: A Queer Memoir on War, Stuttering and Belonging.”
Airdate: Oct. 21, 2026