Aired May 28, 2020
Being Queer & Muslim
Looking for ways to keep the conversation going about LGBTQ+ issues with your ERG, community group, or PFLAG chapter? Welcome to Something to Talk About, a monthly series designed by PFLAG National’s Straight for Equality program to create conversation about LGBTQ+ issues. Each month we’ll offer an article on LGBTQ+ topics and suggest a few questions you can use to lead a discussion.
We hosted a conversation about this article as a part of PFLAG Connects and Something to Talk About Live on Thursday, May 28. Did you miss it? You can still watch it here!
Have feedback about how your conversation went? Let us know by emailing [email protected].
Article: Â The loneliness of being queer and Muslim
Source: The New Arab
Author: Aniqah Choudhri
Questions for Discussion:
- The author writes that, “It took me three years to admit even to myself that I was bisexual, and longer to tell other people. I felt, as incredible as it sounds, that I was the only Muslim ever to have this orientation.” Do you think that this is still the experience of many queer Muslims? What other aspects of identity do you think impacts their experiences?
- In the article, the author spends time discussing the intersections of LGBTQ+ identity and that of religious identity. They suggest that many people feel they have to choose between being queer and Muslim. How are you seeing people navigate this? In your experience, are they able to dispel the idea that they must be either Muslim OR queer?
- The article details a number of examples of progressive organizations and leaders who are forging new paths for people in the queer Muslim community. Can you give examples of great resources or leaders that people should pay attention to? And what would you ask of people who wish to be allies to queer Muslims? What should they do to demonstrate their support?
Additional Resources:
- Masjid al-Rabia
- Muslims for Progressive Values
- The Queen of My Dreams
- Sheer Qorma
- Voices of American Muslims: It doesn’t feel like Ramadan!
Ways to watch and join in the conversation: