As a community, Al-Fatiha comprises cultural, secular and religious Muslims, both those who identify as LGBTIQ and those who are exploring their sexual identity and their gender expression, as well as their families, their friends and their allies. Presenters will share key issues of concern for LGBTIQQ Muslims in this discussion-oriented workshop, including some challenges in reconciling gender and sexual expression with religious, faith and cultural backgrounds. As individuals and as a community, we face numerous societal and institutional challenges, namely xenophobia and racism, Islamophobia, threats of interpersonal and state violence, and militarism. As an organization, Al-Fatiha addresses underlying, intersecting oppressions within our own communities, and advances progressive interpretations of Islam, participates in interfaith and human rights efforts, provides documentation support for asylees, and strives to contextualize and analyze current events impacting our community through a progressive lens. The workshop will address these issues and conclude with group discussion regarding goals and continuing strategies for progressive change and the specific roles that allies can play to promote progress.

This interactive workshop will include small/large group discussion, and discussion based on the issues of primary interest to attendees. This session will be conducted in English and handouts will also be in English. Presenters may be able to connect interested attendees to speakers of some other languages (specifically Urdu, Farsi, Arabic), but no interpretation will be available for the session.