Although the main pride events have come and gone for the year, it doesn’t stop there for other voices in the community.
The leading charity for the LGBTQ+ Muslim population, Imaan, is celebrating 20 years since its launch and to commemorate, they started a Crowdfunder page to raise the £10,000 needed to celebrate a pride event celebrating LGBTQ+ and Muslims in a first of its kind event.
Often left on the fringes of the LGBT community, Imaan has created a safe space for those facing homophobic, biphobic, transphobic and Islamaphonic abuse. It’s a place to avoid intersectional abuse.
“We want to turn to our wider friends and communities to raise funds to cover some of the costs of a unique festival that will celebrate LGBTQ+ Muslims on the occasion of Imaan’s 20th anniversary. The event will build on the incredible events we organised in the past and feature panels, discussions, speakers, arts, culture and history – a first for LGBTQI Muslims,” says their Crowdfunder page.
Their goal of raising £10,000 was greatly exceeded, generating a total of £10,563.
“We’re raising money for a festival to celebrate what it means to be LGBTQI and Muslim, because we don’t believe that you have to choose. We believe that you can have faith and you can be yourself. We believe that Allah loves diversity” says numerous representatives of the charity in the promotional video.
The event itself is reported to include a range of talks and displays of arts and culture, and whilst there isn’t a set date as of yet, it’s a barrier-breaking event that we’re seriously here for.
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