Love doesn’t need any name, category or definition.
Love is a world itself.
Either you are in, at the center.
Either you are out, yearning
-- Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks
Muslim communities have been subjected to Islamophobia, racism, and violence based on ignorance. In a number of ways, the contemporary Muslim experience mirrors the LGBT experience, and makes support for those whose identities intersect with both communities all the more important.
Arabs for Tolerance Arabs for Tolerance is dedicated to educating individuals from the Arab world about sexual orientation and gender identity, dispelling myths about the LGBT community, and sharing information about the laws in Arab countries that affect the lives of LGBT Arabs They also have information about a number of LGBT organizations that exist in the Arab and Muslim world.
Confederation of Associations of LGBTQI European Muslims The Confederation of Associations of LGBTQI European Muslims (CALEM) is an informal network of organizations in Europe that work toward sexual and gender diversity within Islam. They have a number of excellent publications available in French, English, Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese, and a number of other languages.
Dispelling Negative & Harmful Myths about LGBT Arabs (VIDEO) This 20-minute video from Arabs for Tolerance is available in Arabic with English subtitles. It was created by a young Egyptian man living in the San Francisco Bay area to discuss some of the commonly held stereotypes about LGBT Arabs, the struggles that they face, and his hopes for the future.
The Inner Circle Based in South Africa, The Inner Circle (TIC), was formed in 1996 as an underground network of study circles meant to help LGBT Muslims reconcile Islam with their sexuality. Members strive to engage diverse faiths and encourage independent reasoning among the local, national, and international Muslim community.
Imaan Based in the UK, Imaan strives to provide support for LGBT Muslims, their families, and their allies. Imaan promotes the Islamic values of peace, social justice, and tolerance by providing a safe space and support network meant to address issues of sexual orientation and gender identity within Islam.
Irshad Manji Irshad Manhji is the founder of the Moral Courage Project at New York University. She is an advocate of a reform and progressive interpretation of Islam and advocates for the LGBT community. This section of her website has links to the transcripts from speeches that she has given that discuss both the ecumenical and Islamic perspective on whether or not LGBT Muslims can be true to themselves and their faith.
Muslims for Progressive Values Muslims for Progressive Values is based on the Qur’anic ideals of human dignity and social justice. They actively welcome LGBT Muslims and advocate for equality locally, nationally, and internationally. They are currently working on scholarly position papers that document the basis for LGBT equality in Islamic law.
Queer Muslim Revolution Founded in 2007, this blog that collects progressive news, information, and resources for LGBT Muslims as well as their families and friends. They also have great information about books, movies, and documentaries that deal with the topic of sexual orientation and gender identity within Islam.
Queer Muslims Queer Muslims is a blog meant to provide space for LGBT Muslims to express themselves, share information and resources, and connect with one another. They explicitly ban name calling, debate about Islamic texts, or negative comments.
Safra Project The Safra Project works on issues relating to lesbian, bisexual and/or transgender Muslim women. These Muslim women face a number of unique issues caused by a discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, religion, race, culture, and immigration status. While not exclusively a faith based organization, it does explore the intersection of faith with a number of other issues relevant to lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Muslim women.