'Muslim Pride will be full of people just like me'

 

"It's like no Pride I'm ever going to have known before."

Ferhan Khan, a practising Muslim who identifies as a non-binary queer man, is looking forward to an "unforgettable experience" at the UK's first Muslim Pride event on Saturday.

"It's going to be filled with people that are just like me and understand me and I don't need to explain myself to them," says the 39-year-old who uses they/them pronouns.

Organised by Muslim charity Imaan LGBTQI+, Muslim Pride 2024 will be a day's celebration of "queer Muslim culture, activism, and history" says the charity, who expect up to 300 people to attend.

Hosted at Queen Mary University of London, the day will include a panel discussion with scholars and activists from the community, workshops on topics from Islamic feminism to the joys and challenges of being out, and entertainment and performances.

The event was originally scheduled to go ahead in 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. 

Sayyada, one of the organisers, says she is "extremely excited" and "a little bit nervous".

"We've worked so hard for this for so many years and we feel like it'll be a really good celebration of our community," the 26-year-old charity trustee said.

"So often when you talk about these multiply-marginalised communities, the whole story is one of doom and gloom, and struggle and rejection, and that kind of thing. We want Saturday to be a story of celebration and joy and finding community together."

Being LGBTQ+ can be a difficult experience for Muslims around the world, and many feel unable to safely come out.

In some Middle Eastern countries where Islam is most commonly practised, homosexuality is against the law.

Census data for England and Wales in 2021 showed that of the followers of major religions, Muslims were least likely to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or another minority sexual orientation (LGB+), but the most likely to identify as transgender.

This is despite the fact that Islam has the youngest average age of the main religions at 27, and the majority of LGB+ people are aged between 16 and 34.

(Continue)