“For a queer Muslim in India, there’s always a double bind,” explains Rafiul Alam Rehman, founder, The Queer Muslim Project, “Within the community, it can be difficult to find acceptance. And if you are a practising Muslim entering a queer space (especially abroad), you are met with prejudice.” It was this observation that prompted Rehman to found The Queer Muslim Project in 2017. Over a year later, the outfit has garnered over 2,000 followers on Facebook, creating a safe space for members to share their experiences and dilemmas. Members of the project have written on multiple media platforms, painting a picture of their unique struggle: both in India and as members of the diaspora. Now, the outfit has decided to extend it’s presence offline. Its first consultation, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru in May, has exceeded its RSVP limit weeks ahead of time. The consultation, “unlike a symposium, involves a small group of people, closely monitored for their safety, coming together to discuss their experiences,” says Rehman. The project has tied up with Bengaluru-based trans rights NGO Aneka for this maiden event. Participants, however, are not only from Bengaluru, but also from Kochi, Puducherry, Chennai, Lucknow and Delhi. The closed group of 30 include transmen and transwomen, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and people who identify with the cause and want to understand what it means to live as a queer Muslim in India. “At the end of the day, it is everyone’s responsibility to create safe and inclusive public spaces,” points out Rehman. Some of the speakers are activists such as Lucknow-based Arif Jafar, Romal Laishram from Bengaluru, and Jamal Siddiqui, a transgender activist from Delhi. Members of the NGO Aneka will also be present. Unlike other groups fighting for the rights of the LGBTQI fraternity, Rehman’s outfit isn’t working at on-the-ground advocacy — at least not yet. His focus is on a different sphere: conversation. “My first priority is filling the dearth of information we have in this space,” he says, “Our presence is mainly online, and we work on telling stories and creating conversations around sexuality.” The consultation is an extension of this: a safe space for people to share experiences. As Rehman explains, “Being queer and being a Muslim is seen as negating each other, in a sense.” He isn’t just talking about the outsiders’ perspective; the dilemma is often ingrained in members of the community as well. “I have seen people saying, ‘I’m not a Muslim, I’m queer,’ and I have seen the other extreme as well,” he says, pointing out that many in Islam see homosexuality as haraam (sin). This is where the importance of open conversation lies, he emphasises, saying, “There are a number of contemporary Islamic theologists who have a more open approach, like Aamina Wadud and Scott Siraj Kugle.” An increasing number of imams, especially, in the US and Canada, are also affecting a shift in perspective. Rehman’s sees it as his prerogative to bring all these conversations together, to give the community in India the reassurance that they are not alone. To get in touch with The Queer Muslim Project, log on to www.facebook.com/ thequeermuslimproject

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