Islam
The Shower of Stoles' first Muslim donor, Imam Daayiee Abdullah, is one of just four currently out, queer Muslim leaders internationally. The LGBTQ Religious Archives includes an oral history with Imam Daayiee Abdullah, in which he speaks at length about LGBT+ activism within Muslim communities, as well as a biographic profile of this extraordinary leader. Despite being shunned at the Graduate School of Islamic Studies in Virginia (he was expelled from his program for being openly gay), Abdullah has served as an imam for many years. Abdullah argues that the Quran does not condemn homosexuality, basing his argument on close examination of assorted translations of the Quran. Abdullah asserts that translators of the Quran made inaccurate, overly sweeping generalizations when translating the holy document from the original Arabic, noting that perhaps portions of the original text might be misrepresented in more recent translations of the Quran.
Several organizations have worked with Muslim communities in order to strive for greater LGBT+ acceptance within Islam. Imam Daaiyee Abdullah became highly involved in Al-Fatiha, one of the foremost organizations for LGBT+ Muslims, serving as a board member and religious advisor. Al-Fatiha (which translates to "the beginning" or "the opening") was founded by queer activist Faisal Alam. When Alam was only nineteen years old, he started the first listserv for LGBT+ Muslims, creating a safe space for queer Muslims to share their stories and experiences. This listserv filled a community need that soon transformed into Al-Fatiha, an all-volunteer, passion-driven organization.
Alam has traveled to more than ninety universities and colleges in the United States, sharing a presentation entitled "Hidden Voices: The Lives of LGBT Muslims." His words have opened many minds and changed many hearts. You may listen to a clip from "Hidden Voices" here.
He has also contributed his considerable talents to an assortment of other causes, including immigration and asylum rights, HIV-AIDS prevention, public health, and reproductive justice. In line with his commitment to furthering justice for all, he has worked for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (now the National LGBTQ Task Force), the National Minority AIDS Council, and the Association of Minority Health Professions School.
The LGBTQ Religious Archives Network also features a biographic profile of El-Farouk Khaki, one of the founders of the Canadian Muslim Union. Even before co-founding that Union, he founded Salaam, the very first organization of and for queer Muslims in Canada in 1991. Under Salaam's auspices in 2003, he was responsible for coordinating the very first female-led, mixed-gender Muslim prayer in Canada during the organization process for the Salaam/Al-Fatiha International Conference. El-Farouk Khaki has also been highly involved with AIDS activism, as a chair of APAA (Africans in Partnership Against AIDS). As a practicing lawyer, he has represented LGBT+ people seeking protections, survivors of domestic violence, and other racial, gendered, and religious civil rights issues. His activist work has been legal and political in nature, as he's fought for greater justice for all in Canadian courts and government.
Today, contemporary organizations supporting LGBT+ Muslims include Muslims for Progressive Values, the Saafra Project, and the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity.
