LGBT Muslim festival: 'We don't just have one identity'

[Lilmonzter 2,864]

"I think we've earned a party," says 29-year-old Joy Muhammad.

She is part of a group that wants to put on a UK festival to celebrate LGBT Muslim culture.

"We've had Bi Pride, we've had Black Pride, we have Trans Pride," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

"So now we've got Muslim LGBTQI Pride.

"It'll celebrate the diversity within the BAME community and the LGBT community to show we're not all the same, we don't have just one identity.

Joy is a member of Imaan - a group of LGBT Muslims who are hoping to crowdfund £5,000 to put on the festival.

People involved with Black Pride and Trans Pride have previously told Newsbeat that their events are important because of abuse they've experienced within the LGBT community.

Joy says this happens to LGBT Muslims as well.

"There's Islamophobia that we sometimes have to deal with within Pride and within LGBTQI communities," she says.

"Not just at Pride, but within the queer community."

But another issue some people in the LGBT Muslim community face is being told to "choose" between their sexuality and their religion.

"Not only with the Muslim community, but also with other religious communities, we're being told to choose between our religion and our queer identity," she says.

Joy says that she, personally, doesn't find any conflict between the two.

But she feels the Muslim community's attitude to any sexuality can make things difficult for some LGBT people.

"I wouldn't openly discuss certain topics within the Muslim community - and sexuality is one of them," she says.

"But then again sexual orientation - whether queer or straight - isn't really discussed in the first place.

"There are a lot of conservative circles within the Muslim community for cultural reasons."

Homosexuality is against the law in some Middle Eastern countries - where Islam is most commonly practised.

Earlier this year, Brunei backtracked on plans to make adultery and sex between men punishable by death.

Imaan says it wants to put on the festival to celebrate what it means to be Muslim and LGBT.

"Imaan Fest is something that we definitely will - in all traditions of Muslim celebrations - make quite fantastic and glamorous," Joy adds.

'I go out of solidarity'

Plans for a Muslim LGBT festival are welcomed by 28-year-old film director Almass Badat, who is a member of the Muslim LGBTI+ group Hidayah.

"When I was growing up, I remember really looking hard for just someone that looked like me and that was also queer," Almass tells Newsbeat.

"It's really nice when you walk into a space and you can see someone that maybe looks like you, or has the same values - it doesn't always have to be visible.

"I'll go to Pride and also go to Black Pride and I'll probably also go to Muslim Pride.

"I go out of solidarity, out of support also for myself, to build community, there's so many positives to just interacting and understanding that within a group of people."

Link to article: https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-49796967

[littlepotter 76,610]

what exactly is the point of this?

if they're just making a point that you can be lgbt and believe in whatever religion you want, then you go girls, that's a beautiful thing.

but if they're attempting to ask for acceptance from religious groups, good luck with that. catholics have been in direct contact with lgbt people for years in the US and they're still against us

[Melech 9,900]

That’s great 

[PrincessDiez 532]

YAAAS love this tbh

Love seeing other muslims being free and still religious like myself 🥰

[Edonis 28,974]

Before this thread becomes a shitshow from countless members who have personal issues with people of other faiths, I want to say that Muslim LGBT festival would be beneficial for two reasons:

1. Obvious representation.

2.It would provide visibility to a lot of LGBT youths, both muslim and non-muslim. 

Being LGBT and growing up in a Muslim household is a very, unique experience I think. I can't speak for anyone and everyone, but one of the biggest challenges for me was never having a role model or individual to look to as an example that being gay is okay. Many people in Muslim community think that homosexuals don't exist in their culture, and this primarily feeds into a lot of anti-gay sentiments and self-loathing among youths. Having something like this that shows there are others like you in the world, who have had similar experiences in struggles and existence, is powerful. And i think something like this could provide precedence to non-LGBT Muslims as well. There simply is very little representation in the community as a whole. There's an attitude that you can be one or the other, not both. And I think, especially in the west, this could be a powerful event that could propel more acceptance and tolerance in the community. 

Idk I'm rambling, but as a gay muslim, this is amazing to me. I support this. 

[Guest Adarsh]

My boyfriend is a Muslim and openly gay, his parents know that we’re together and tbh they’re more accepting than mine 

[Bonkers 30,860]

Since the prophet was having full on sex with his 8 year old wife when he was 50 it's hard to believe he would be homophobic.  I'm sure he would hate than more than 1 billion Muslims believe that gays should be executed (according to polls).  I mean just because there are Islamic 16 countries that beat, imprison and execute people for being gay because of how they interpret the Koran, is that really any reason to be Islamaphobic?  

[S0436 10,215]

That’s great as I lived in a Muslim country where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by imprisonment and worse punishment if you are a national of that country where you are Muslim by default.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Bonkers said:

Since the prophet was having full on sex with his 8 year old wife when he was 50 it's hard to believe he would be homophobic

Truth but  I think every religious people ignore all crazy facts about their prophets, it's not just Muhammad...

[geopang 4,831]

Good for them. I still think it’s stupid to be LGBT and identify with a religion that endorses your death. 

As someone who is arab myself, the best decision I ever did was disconnect myself from the backwardness of the religious impact on the culture. 

[Judas18 485]

Wishful thinking.

You are being willfully blind if you continue to believe in a religion that mandates that you be put to death for who you are.

If anything, homosexuality has shown that religions aren't real. Because if they were, they wouldn't be against homosexuality. An actual real god wouldn't judge for something you didn't choose to be.

[StarstruckIllusion 53,564]

Omg as they should. Fight tf back. I just hope they don’t get hurt 💔

[Guest]

Im a Gay Muslim and I dont know how to feel about this  not sure what to say..

[Dilwyn 4,090]

Well good luck with that.

[Miracle 14,068]

🥰