‘Can You Really Be a Queer Muslim?’: Intersectionality and the Complexity of Identity
‘A Veil is Simply One Form of Worship’: Reflecting on Faith and Femininity as a Christian Woman
Growing up, the church I attended regularly required women and girls who had taken their first Holy Communion to veil during services. They couldn't be removed until the final lines of the service were spoken. I wasn't a huge fan of having to cover my hair while the men were able to stay as they pleased. I sometimes wondered if it was a cultural difference – my family's church is Indian while other churches I visited were predominantly white…
Pushing Past Homophobia and Islamophobia to Find Queer Muslim Joy
I grew up (and still present) visibly Muslim. I have worn a hijab for longer than I can remember, and over the years I found a style that I felt expressed me best. Regardless, I am still made to feel a little out of place when I’m the only hijabi who turned up to the queer meet-up (it’s quite funny to see some people perplexed). This also means a lot of people assume feminine pronouns for me, even if my bio clearly states something else…
‘Can You Really Be a Queer Muslim?’: Intersectionality and the Complexity of Identity
In a video I recently watched, a Muslim woman asked a Muslim gay man why he doesn’t stop being Muslim. That question made me cry. Not because I found it hurtful that the Muslim community (my community) is often still not accepting of queerness (also my community), or that I found the question ludicrous or ignorant. I cried because it made sense to me, and I didn’t want it to…
‘Welcome in God’s Kingdom’: Rejecting Stereotypes and Embracing Self-Acceptance as a Queer Christian
LGBTQ+ and Christianity. They’re not super popular words you hear together often, but why aren’t they more commonly said together? Like, I am an LGBTQ+ Christian, which can be a bit of a surprise to some people. The reason for the surprise is obvious: according to a lot of the world, homosexuality is a ‘sin’ and therefore you can’t be gay or an ally or whatever and follow Jesus…