#MuslimAnd Empowers LGBTQIA Muslims
Though we've discussed LGBTQIA representation and Muslim representation, we haven't touched completely on the intersections of those identities. To be honest, those intersections have barely been touched on in American media aside from Adena Al-Amin in The Bold Type. But for LGBTQIA Muslims who struggle with a lack of representation and the inner conflict to dispel myths in their daily lives, this Teen Vogue article highlights the work of the Muslim Youth Leadership Council in creating a toolkit to provide LGBTQIA Muslims their own visibility and give them resources on their identity, sexual health and consent. What I really liked about this movement was that it's highly inclusive of all parts of the Muslim experience and of the LGBTQIA experience too. It's LGBTQIA Muslims who are taking charge of the conversation and contributing to it. We've discussed how intersectionality reveals our identities existing in relation to each other and this article highlights how being Muslim and being LGBTQIA don't have to fight against each other.
I think many of the times we are so quick to support issues and topics that need to be addressed, but many times we forget to be inter-sectional in our actions. LGBT issues in communities such as dominant religions are commonly places where these people can be oppressed. That is why it is so important to address visibility for communities that intersect - such as LGBT peoples in Muslim communities.
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