In recent years, research on the intersection of queer and religious identities has been growing rapidly. Nonetheless, queer Muslims remain a minority in much of this literature. Furthermore, studies that address matters pertaining to diasporic queer Muslims living in a Western context are largely based in Europe or Canada. Thus, this research aims to explore the unique subjectivity and experiences of queer Muslims residing in the United States specifically. This study investigates the ways in which queer Muslim individuals articulate their cultural and sexual identities in contested environments; living in post 9/11 politically-charged America, on one hand, and belonging to Muslim spaces that promote heterosexuality on the other. 30 in-depth interviews are conducted with self-identified queer Muslims who currently reside in the United States in order to capture their experiences. A combination of convenience and snowball sampling are used to collect interview data on: queer Muslims` articulation of queerness in relation to Westernness, how they form networks of support, and how they make sense of the perceived tension between Islam and queerness. Analysis of the data reveals that participants actively engage in what I call strategies of creative difference to formulate alternative narratives that speak to their unique subjectivity. These strategies are observed through complicating the Western coming out narrative, queer ijtihad, and revising cultural histories.
موضوع (اسم عام یاعبارت اسمی عام)
موضوع مستند نشده
LGBTQ studies
موضوع مستند نشده
Sexuality
موضوع مستند نشده
Sociology
نام شخص به منزله سر شناسه - (مسئولیت معنوی درجه اول )