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A 2016 examine achieved by the College of Minnesota discovered that Muslims have been probably the most disliked and distrusted “cultural outsider” group in the US. For queer Muslims, the stigma they face is twofold: Islam can pose points for queer members of the religion, and queer non-Muslims can masks xenophobia as concern concerning the homophobia they imagine to be inherent to the religion — typically motivated by unnuanced stereotypes.
The realities of residing as a queer Muslim are nuanced. In an interview with Georgia Voice, a 22-year-old nonbinary queer Muslim — who requested to stay nameless — spoke about their experiences.
Quotes have been edited for readability.
The place are you from? How was your life rising up? How spiritual was your loved ones?
I’m from Ontario, Canada, like close to Toronto. Rising up ,there are positively issues that stand out to me as being actually unhealthy, however total I actually suppose my upbringing wasn’t terrible. I attempt to be the perfect individual I could be, and I believe these values have been instilled in me from the way in which I used to be introduced up. My household is kind of spiritual, however additionally they cherry-pick quite a bit, you already know? There are issues they let go, there are issues that they maintain actually tight. It simply relies on what it’s and the way the cultures they grew up in.
How would you describe the evolution of your spiritual follow?
I believe that there’s issues I’ve let go of since getting older. I maintain lots of the values nonetheless from my spiritual upbringing, however I don’t actually pray 5 occasions a day, and I’ll bend the principles for positive if I wish to do one thing or really feel one thing.
What values from childhood do you continue to maintain?
Having religion in God, following this faith’s path, and studying the Quran. There are different values instilled in me like being a very good individual. As a part of the faith it’s a must to donate quite a bit: there are percentages of your complete earnings that it’s a must to donate. So, I try this, I follow that fairly often.
Are you out to your spiritual neighborhood? If sure, how do individuals deal with you? If no, do you worry how individuals will deal with you?
So, bizarre reply … principally to my household, it’s unstated. I do know that they know. My mother and father have had talks concerning the queer neighborhood and my mates which might be homosexual they usually positively don’t approve, they’re not chill with that. Nevertheless it has come so far the place I’ve had so many issues occur to me on this level in my life that my mother and father are like, “You’re nonetheless our little one, regardless of no matter it’s you bought occurring.”
I’m additionally energetic in lots of pro-Palestine activism in my space, and nearly all of the individuals concerned in these protests are additionally Muslim. I’m fully out to each single certainly one of them, they usually have handled me with a lot kindness and respect. They both suppose it’s cool or don’t care in any respect. They’re like, “Okay you’re homosexual, that’s nice, are you able to assist me with this?” which I actually respect. I respect that indifference, as a result of having that worry of what if any individual treats me badly to this individual doesn’t give a shit like, in any respect.
Are the individuals you work together with in your activist teams a large age vary or nearer to your age?
There’s a broad age vary, however yeah, most people I work together with are extra my age.
Do you discover any distinction in acceptance of queerness with older Muslim folks that you already know?
I believe it relies on the circle that you simply’re in. I work in a nonprofit house and so it’s a must to have that openness and acceptance in-built, so the older Muslim folks that I meet on this house are tremendous accepting. They’re very encouraging and wish to speak about it — however then my dad’s mates that go to the mosque day-after-day, I’d by no means inform them that I used to be queer. I simply wouldn’t. If now we have household and mates over or different individuals locally, I hear transphobia and homophobia introduced up and I’m like, “Effectively I can’t come out right here, for positive.” Yeah, it positively relies on who you’re interacting with.
In your expertise, how have your faith and your queerness intersected or clashed?
I believe they intersect within the sense that — that is gonna sound slightly corny — however my queerness feels divine to me. It’s simply how God made me, and I’ve this deep love and appreciation for ladies and nonmen particularly if I’m in relation with them as a result of to me, that is probably the most proper feeling on this planet, and I can’t think about it being a sin. It simply feels so appropriate, like I’m speculated to be doing this. Once I pray, I pray for (God Prepared) a future the place I’ve a spouse sometime. The one time they conflict is when somebody who identifies as a Muslim comes as much as me and says, “You’re going to hell, it is a sin.” And I’m like, “To start with, been there, don’t care,” and the entire level is to be spiritual, pray to God, have your religion. I don’t perceive why you’d ever attempt to push somebody away from religion, I’ve by no means understood that. It simply feels so proper to me, I simply can’t think about getting punished for it.
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