Never Resolved

Belonging is not a resolution, but rather a constant effort, which Transnational Asian American literature grapples with through the shifting lenses of gender, sexuality, class, culture/nationality, and religion.  Click the + button on the bottom of each post to view more information and commentary! Click on the "IMPORTANT" filter to find posts with the required references!

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On Gender

Examining in/exclusion requires reflecting on how social norms of gender are upheld and broken. Since the broad construct of gender is a binary defined by Western culture, the constant effort of belonging is envisioned with the final result of fitting into one of two neat boxes. When we transcend the socially constructed gender binary, however, the unresolved effort of belonging changes. Rather than attempting to fit into the boxes of the binary, the journey of belonging is one where folks are working to become comfortable in their bodies and fighting for a society where those boxes are obsolete.  

Hey, look! A very gendered attempt to encourage women to break out of their box!  Why you gotta gender the encouragement?

In the November lecture from Sarah Deer, we learn that Native American culture has definitions of gender that defies the boxed binary. “Two-spirit” people have long been revered in indigenous North American culture because of the perceived wisdom of those who are gender-non-conforming in a ceremonial sense, though the western constructs of gender prevail on Native American reservations due to the legacy of settler colonialism in the United States. The question of belonging in this context means having to partake in movements for the binary to become obsolete once again, but the mainstream LGBT community is well outside the ceremonial understanding of Two-Spirited people. This emphasizes the assertion that belonging is entirely contingent on context, which means that it is never truly a resolved question. 

In this article on hegemonic masculinity in Asian American men, we learn that Asian American men’s behaviors and social mores are heavily explained by role identity theory: in essence, how people conceptualize themselves when embodying a certain social role. In Asian American circles, there exists many a conversation on the stereotypical de-masculinization of APIA men. This very de-masculinization is resolved, apparently, when APIA men are perceived to fit into social norms of masculinity. However, this begs the question of whether it’s better to fix emasculation with fitting into a box of masculinity, which at its extreme can become toxic. Being fixated with a certain type of masculinity usually means that expectations to fit a box are higher, which leads to toxic behavior due to a constant need to defend masculinity. *Duh*  This question of resolution is one that will never be resolved because aspects of gender demand to be questioned - to function authentically in this world means living with a degree of vulnerability and expressing emotions to strengthen human connections. That vulnerability can mean having to break out of boxed, binary definition of gender and thus outside of the hegemony of masculinity. 

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To acknowledge different experiences is to start to move towards more fluid – and therefore more honest and true to the real world – conceptions of gender.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her clarifying Facebook post here

Adichie’s feminism is uniquely transnational, which is where her perspective can easily be misunderstood by western feminists. Adichie controversially notes that trans women are perceived and treated as men until they physically transition, but she clarifies here that it doesn’t invalidate the struggle and oppression that comes with gender dysphoria. Her transnational feminism causes her to view feminism also in terms of how bodies are perceived and treated in a global context. In some parts of the world, being assigned female at birth, regardless of gender identity, comes with oppression that are usually not seriously considered by western feminism except in a “we must save the third world” context. Female genital mutilation and child marriage of female bodies is a function of possessing a body that is assigned female at birth - it’s rarely considered to be a part of the broad feminist fight in the United States and the western world, though.

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In this song, MIA raps about breaking the stereotypes of South Asian womanhood. “Live fast / die young / bad girls do it well” - “bad girls” are the ones living beyond the prototypical demure demeanor that is almost expected of South Asian women. In the video, we see women in camouflage dressed as the (mostly) white men that have been a part of the invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq - notably, neither country is considered to be in the typical definition of South Asia - thus denoting that the traditionally masculine military can consist of women. MIA feminizes but also de-colonizes by purposefully having women of color donning attire stereotyped to white men.  

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References

Book of Salt (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2003) by Monique Truong Re Jane (Viking 2015) by Patricia Park The Konkans (Harcourt 2009) by Tony D’souza Olive Witch (The Fourth Estate 2016) by Abeer Hoque “Dina” from The Night Counter (Random House 2009) by Alia Yunis “Out on Main Street” in Out on Main Street: And other Short Stories (Raincoast Books 2002), pp. 45-57

“Sexuality, Colonialism, and Ethnicity in Monique Truong’s The Book of Salt and Mei Ng’s Eating Chinese Food Naked” in Eating Identities: Reading Food in Asian American Literature (University of Hawaii Press 2008) by Wenying Xu

“Attitudes toward Professional Counseling among Asian-American College Students: Acculturation, Conceptions of Mental Illness, and Loss of Face” in Asian American Journal of Psychology 2.2 (2011) by Frederick T. L. Leong, Helen H. W. Kim, and Arpana Gupta, pp. 140-153

“Bridget Jung’s Diary” in SF Gate (13 February 2007) by Jeff Yang “South Korea’s First Black Model” in Al Jazeera (13 April 2017) by Jason Strother “Coming to America: The Making of the South Asian Diaspora in the United States” in The Caravan (1 October 2017) by Namit Arora

Public Lecture: Laxmi Narayan Tripathi Public Lecture: The Araba (Ifarinwale Ogundiran) Public Lecture: Sarah Deer

“Stressful Experiences of Masculinity Among U.S.-Born and Immigrant Asian American Men” in Gender & Society 27.3 (2013) by Alexander Lu, Y. Joel Wong, pp. 345-371

“Segmented assimilation and socio-economic integration of Chinese immigrant children in the USA.” in Ethnic and Racial Studies 37.7 (2014) by Min Zhou, pp. 1172-1183.

“The Danger of a Single Story” TED Talk (July 2009) by Chimamanda Adichie

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Class and Gender-Hijra and Transgender

-Thea Gu

In 2016, there is a social media campaign “I am not a Hijra” in Transgender India, featuring 18 transgender men and women holding placards in a bid to separate their gender identity from that of the Hijras. The cause for this campaign is simple: Transgender people tend to hold high powered professional jobs like surgeons, lawyers, with six figure income, whereas Hijras are a marginalized community, and largely belong to the lower strata of society. Another difference between transgender and Hijras is that transgender people usually identify with culturally conventional gender roles and categories of male or female, while Hijras regard them as a third gender, neither men nor men. But why can’t both communities enjoy visibility without one bringing down the other? According to one activist, it is because in the campaign, exclusion became the premise, as no individuals from the Hijra community were consulted in the process of the campaign.

Transgender India's "I am not a Hijra" campaign

It’s so sad to see that as gender minorities, instead of sympathizing with each other, these transgender campaigners chose to exclude Hijras and called themselves better off. One probable reason is that Transgender have experienced enough violence and misunderstanding as a minority, and thus connecting themselves with lower class Hijras would subject them to even more discrimination. However, the Hijra community has faced physical, verbal and sexual violence for years, and thus many times they have no choice but to take up sex work and other low status job. Thus, the campaign contrasts a transgender person’s merits with the structural violence faced by an entire community.

More often than not, society needs certain courageous individuals to break the cycle of exclusion, and Laxmi Narayan Tripathi is one of them.

 Laxmi is a Brahman, the highest caste in Hinduism, but she identified herself as a Hijra, and is proud of her identity. Contrary to the campaigners who stayed away from the Hijra community so that they would look better, Laxmi takes an opposite path by becoming a hijra by choice, and subsequently by educating people about the history of Hijras and fighting for the recognition of her community.

 One can read more about Laxmi’s experiences in her autobiography Me Hijra, Me Laxmi

She is the first transgender person to represent Asia Pacific at the United Nations and has represented her community and India on several international platforms. In her Call 300 talk, Laxmi shared her story that in 2016, the same year “I am not a Hijra” campaign happened in India, she attended the UN World AIDS conference in Toronto, and introduced herself to other representatives across the world, “I’m a transgender. I belong to the oldest ethnic transgender group in the world, which is known as Hijra. We are the third gender, and we have been prevailed in all religions, whether it’s Islam, Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism…”. 

Laxmi’s dance performance at her W&M COLL 300 Visit

Laxmi does not exclude her Hijra community from transgender, instead she takes an inclusive stance by promoting the value of openness and embracing all religions.

When class and gender intersect with each other, it is often harder to achieve inclusion due to the increased differences. Nevertheless, as our thesis statement states, “belonging is not a resolution, but rather a constant effort,” as more individuals like Laxmi are willing to stand up and break the boundaries of exclusion, the society will have more tolerance of differences and less segregation and prejudice.

[humansofnewyork]

“The Korean American community is very tight-knit. From the outside it can sometimes look like inwardness or selfishness, but it’s primarily based on survival. When you’re an immigrant, feeding your children and paying your rent comes before integrating with society. And the support to do those things normally comes from within the community. For Korean Americans, the community mainly revolves around the church. Korean immigrants will go to church even if they aren’t religious. Because that’s where the community is. It’s where people speak their language. It’s where they can find information, and a network, and jobs, and people to cook them meals when they’re sick. It can sometimes seem like an unwillingness to integrate. But the closeness of the community is really about trying to survive.” ———————————————- James is the Executive Director of the MinKwon Center for Community Action 민권센터 in Flushing Queens, which seeks to educate and organize marginalized members of the Korean American community.

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James’ story shows how Korean American immigrants use religion to find a sense of belonging within a country/culture that often excludes them.

- Lauren Chu

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Here Is What LGBT Muslims Want You To Know After The Orlando Shooting

“I wish we didn’t have to be brave just to continue living."

In this article, queer Muslims share how they navigate the space in between inclusion and exclusion in relation to both their religion and their sexuality. Some quotes that I really liked:

“I love being a queer Muslim. As a queer Muslim, I occupy a position on the margins of both the queer and Muslim communities. While it's imperative to address the material struggles and disparities of marginalization, being on the outside is also a blessing. It's only from the margins that I get to develop a critical perspective that, with other queer Muslims, is cultivated and transformed into a creative energy which we've used to generate a truly beautiful community of our own.”

“So we're torn between needing to defend the faith that gives us strength, and needing to resist the homophobia and the transphobia and the spiritual violence that are very real parts of our everyday experience as Muslims.”

“If I can live a life of service to ending oppression, if I can live a life dedicated to writing and embodying activist theologies, making space for queer Muslims and queer people of faith at large to connect with the divine and each other, then I will have lived a good life.”

“We will not be pitted against ourselves and others — we are both and all things. It's not 'queers versus Muslims' and it has not been historically.”

- Lauren Chu

[rebelling4freedom]

Hey, I am a gay girl born into a Muslim family. The only time I was ever "religious" was as a kid when I was first learning about Islam. Growing up, I went through a lot and started losing faith. Now I feel like I cannot go back to the religion even if I wanted to because of my sexuality. I will never be accepted. I also feel like Islam prioritizes men and as a feminist that goes against what I believe in. Is there still room for me in this religion or should I start searching for another faith?

Hey so I crowdsourced a lot of this answer: [updating as I get more suggestions and resources]

Personally, I couldn’t be a Muslim and follow Islam if I didn’t find it feminist, full of social justice and intersectional. Unfortunately patriarchy and self interest tries to pass itself off as moralistic and religious —this is universal. Also it’s helpful to keep in mind that if any authority tries to tell you to hate and discriminate know that it isn’t from God or any moral compass—but fear. 

O you who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in upholding equity, bearing witness to the truth for the sake of God, even though it be against your own selves or your parents and kinsfolk. Whether the person concerned be rich or poor, God’s claim takes precedence over [the claims of] either of them. Do not, then, follow your own desires, lest you swerve from justice: for if you distort [the truth], behold, God is indeed aware of all that you do! - The Holy Qur’an [4:135] I believe the Prophet Muhammad [saw] was a radical-feminist-environmental anti-racist community organizer, activist and freedom fighter that believed in freeing people from the status quo and freeing them from oppression through Islam and Allah [swt]. And I believe in following that tradition. “Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Quran 13:11)

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About Lot/Lut:

Omar Pitras Waqar is working on a mechanical translation of the Qur’an without the diacriticals/vowels [which were added years after Muhammad’s death and during Uthman’s reign] says:

“…possibilities of this being reference to djinn/human interbreeding… or that it may have had to do with getting DNA, from angles/extraterrestrials which is still vile in a non consensual sense. Quran says the “sin” was something no creature had done before in all of the worlds (plural) so that rules out homosexual and gender variance which can be easily observed on earth in plants and animals let alone any number of beings from other planets or dimensions.”

More to support this: "Indeed, homosexuality was outside the mainstream of early rabbinic thought. It wasn’t until the New Testament and Palestinian reinterpretation of Genesis 19 that it became a significant theme. Some scholars explain this shift by citing intervening events. One was the apocryphal Book of Jubilees. In this book, it was alleged that the Sodomites had created a race of giants by having sexual relations with a group of gods, the “Watchers,” who lusted after mortal women. For this, the Sodomites were punished. The notion of “crime against nature” is a vestigial remnant of this legend, but also has scriptural roots.“ [from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/georgette-bennett-phd/sodom-and-gomorrah-revisited_b_2624684.html] Our Ethiopian Christian family has been maintaining this and other apocryphal texts many of which are repeated in the Quran like the story of Jesus turning clay birds into real living birds.

I am going to give an example of how much diacriticals/vowels make a difference. 1. From Quran.com Surat Ash-Shu'ara [verse 165 - “Do you approach males among the worlds.“ 2. Notice: “Worlds” possibly referring that’s some unseen/alien/jinn 3. Also the arabic word used for “males” could also be translated into “mates” or “rods”4. “Do you approach mates among the worlds.” or “Do you approach rods among the worlds.” are possible translations

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I believe it was Aisha [ra] that had a close friend that was a hijra and didn’t wear a hijab, or covering around them. There was plenty of queer people in and around the Prophet Muhammad’s [s] life time.

I could name-drop Sufi saints [ahem, Rumi loved a man Shams] and poets from various times and places who violated norms of gender and sexuality on one level or another. Ali ibn Hamzah al-Asadi, more widely known as al-Kisa’i al-Kufi (d.804). As the transmitter of one of the Qur’an’s seven harfs (“readings”) in Sunni tradition, he’s an immeasurably important figure in the history of the Qur’an as a text. As such, his knowledge and character were both under close examination. In one assessment, al-Marzubani, speaking on the authority Ibn al-Arabi (the jurist, not the mystic), described al-Kisa’i as “one of the most learned persons” while adding that al-Kisa’i openly confessed to engaging in acts that included same-sex relations. “Yet,” he adds, al-Kisa’i remained “an accurate reader, knowledgeable in the Arabic language, and honest.” 

This does not answer all questions, but it offers something. In Sunni Islam, there are seven canonical ways of reading the Qur’an. Al-Kisa’i al-Kufi is the man who gave us one of them. He devoted his life to knowing and teaching the Qur’an. It should go without saying that al-Kisa’i al-Kufi memorized the entire scripture by heart and recited it every day of his life. Along the way, he apparently fucked dudes. The lips that he used to recite divine scripture also touched men.

““O people, we created you all from a male and female And made you into different communities and different tribes So that you should come to know one another Acknowledging that the most noble among you  Is the one most aware of God Qur’an 49:13

The most noble is the one most aware of God. This is not just incitement for all Muslims to increase their awareness of God – it is also a warning to pursue a policy of social tolerance. The implication of this verse is that no Muslim is better than another because of any of the social categories that we use to classify ourselves, such as race, ethnicity, economic class, or gender. Or even sexual orientation. A gay or lesbian Muslim is no less than a heterosexual Muslim, except by the intangible criterion of pious awareness of God (taqwa). A transgender

Muslim is no less than other Muslims who have not struggled with their own gender identity and faced the stigma of changing gender classification, except by awareness of God. 

Most Muslims cherish reciting this verse to oppose the evils of racial superiority, ethnic chauvinism, and class arrogance. Yet some see this verse as a call to justice that rings far beyond its terse words.” — Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle, HOMOSEXUALITY IN ISLAM

El-Farouk Khaki, the founder of Salaam [a queer Muslim organization in Canada] says:  you can connect her w me, or with Daayiee Abdullah. my email is [email protected] she can also join https://www.facebook.com/groups/99769188589/  el-Tawhid Juma Circle: Toronto Unity Mosque & learn that there is no singular, monolith Islam, and that for some, Islam is liberationary.

EFK and the rest of the leaders at el-Tawhid Juma Circle: Toronto Unity Mosque page make a point of emphasising the spiritual aspects of Islam and reducing focus on external elements. el-Tawhid Juma Circle: Toronto Unity Mosque group - wholly affirming and inclusive, with a focus on the spiritual and not so much the ritual.

Imam Daayiee Abdullah contact [the gay Imam in DC] ([email protected]). 

There’s also an Imam in Canada, TO who I know is pro-feminist, cool with gay Muslims and he asked me to give you his number if you would like it.

Some points

1) If you believe that God created you the way are, you can’t possible believe that God would reject you2) The community you grew up in does not necessarily represent Islam3) The beauty of Islam is that there is no intercession between you and God. You has every right and ability to pick up the Quran and find out what it means to you. 4) If you find things you can’t reconcile, you should speak to others who have found themselves in a similar situation.5) 

thefatalfeminist.com

is a great starting point and introduction to feminism, Islam and social justice.6) Islam does not prioritize men over women, the patriarchal actualization of Islam as seen through socially constructed norms prioritizes men over women, but that is a product of kyriarchy more than anything. If you want your faith to prioritize women, then do it. 7) Hit up Scott Kugle at Emory who could give you some nice readings and independent studies for Lesbianism or Queer identities and Islam. 

 From strawberreli [amazing Queer Muslim] !! http://strawberreli.tumblr.com/post/30642167690/queer-muslim-masterpost

queer muslim masterpost

This post pretty much came about because I was asked if I had resources for Muslims who were discovering or newly coming to terms with their sexuality. I didn’t, and the poor advice I had to offer was … poor. So, I pulled up a few of the blogs I followed that are targeted towards queer Muslims, and put together this little post for you! Last updated: 06.14.16 (outdated info italicised)

Queer Muslim Blogs:

QueerMuslims

IamNotHaraam

Ace-Muslim

Trans Muslims

Ahwaa: An open space to debate LGBTQ-related issues in the Middle East

AllahMademeQueer

ComingOutMuslim

YouKnow-You'reaQueermuslim-When

InQueeries channel with Yusef Woof (contact [email protected])

Salaam Canada

TheBisexualBangladeshi

Muslims Against Homophobia and LGBT Hate facebook group

Queer Palestinian Empowerment Network (QPEN) facebook page

Queer Muslims of Boston facebook page

Totally Radical Muslim Zine

Queer Muslim 101:

A quick gender/sexuality 101 (An in-depth gender/sexuality/identity 201)

But what does a queer Muslim even look like? (hint: they look like people)

Defining homonationalism and pinkwashing. [A little bit more on pinkwashing.]

PDF:Homosexuality In Islam, by Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle (Intro + 1st Chap) Buy your own copy!

A good read-along-with the above book, Desiring Arabs by Joseph Massad and an online article here.

PDF:Muslim LGBT Inclusion Project, by Intersections International

More reading (a list w.some repeats): [x]

Why Safe Spaces are Important [looking for a replacement link]

“I’m confused about my sexuality.”

“I need proof from Qur'an and Sunnah that I’m not Haraam.”

“What about the Qur'an and Hadith that chastise LGBTQ Muslims?”

“You cherry pick your hadith!/You cherry pick from your religion!”

Some hadiths can be read in different ways, so it’s best to look at the outcome.

“Islam and LGBT are not mutually exclusive.”

“But I was taught Islam was the most heterosexist religion.“  [tw: continuously moving background at the link]

”But all Muslims are homophobic!“ (spoiler alert: you’re wrong.)

”But Muslims hate sex - it’s ~dirty~ to them!“ (I would recommend this class for basic 101 on marriage and love [sex] in Islam. Take it with Basyouni.) (See also: x and x)

”Love the sinner, hate the sin, and why that’s bullshit.“

”Should I come out?“ (spoiler alert: that’s up to you!)

”Is there a place for LGBTQ Muslims?“ (Or ”There’s no place for LGBTQ Muslims/no organisations/no hope.“)

”Will LGBTQ Muslims go to hell?“ (spoiler alert: I’m not God, how would I know?)

”But it’s unnatural!“ (lolk)

”There aren’t any gay Imams or Sheikhs, so you’re just making things up!“ (Also here.) (And here.)

“But scholars don’t condone it!”

”But no fatwa was made!“ (It’s Wahabi.)

Egyptian fatwa

Indonesian fatwa [link broken, seeking replacement]

A post about other Sheikhs’ opinions.

”But there are no inclusive mosques for LGBT Muslims!“ (Just stop. x)

There is no place for homophobia in Islam.

Let’s repeat that: There is no place for homophobia in Islam.

Ayahs that talk about Prophet Lut.

A closer reading of ayahs re: homosexuality (prev here).

See also: You decide how you interpret your religion.

Homosexuality in Sharia

Homosexuality in Predominately Muslim Countries (and some more on homosexuality inPakistan)

Pride Parade in Bangladesh (Please remember “hijra” is a slur depending on where in South Asia a person is from – please ask before using it as a catchall!)

Predominately Muslim Countries who are taking steps toward equality. [x] [x, x] [x] [x] [x]

Same-sex marriage

MASGD Statement on SCOTUS Marriage Equality Ruling

Queer Muslim Cinema: Azizah, Illuminations, Coming Out Muslim, A Jihad For Love, I Exist, Al-Nisa [BONUS: Show Al-Nisa and Red Summer (the producer) some love!], Circumstance, Naz + Maalik, Gay Muslims (a documentary produced by Channel 4 in the U.K), City of Borders, The Bubble, Out in the Dark (Palestinian and Israeli fall in love. facebook page), Facing Mirrors (2011; ft. an FtM Iranian), I Accept Me! (2011), Hir Poem, My Child. Sexualities and Queer Imaginaries. Oriented. [Article about Oriented, A Gay Girl in Damascus, and A Sinner in Mecca] [Muslim Drag Queens][Color of Water is trying to get funded]

Queer Muslim Music: Tum Hi Ho (by a drag artist in Lahore).

Queer Muslim Literature: [x] [x] [Four Gay Arabs Break the Silence] [Embracing Ramadhan in the LGBT Muslim Community] [Gaylaxy magazine] [Queer Beirut] [Sex and Desperate Hearts] [Bareed Mista3jil] [Totally Radical Muslims Zine] [5 Queer Magazines] [Not Your Tragic Queer Muslim Story/How to De-Queer Your Apartment] [Brown and Queer in America] [Queer South Asians and the Politics of Family] [A Thing of the West] [Coming Out in the Muslim Community] [Queer and Muslim At the Same Time] [9 articles on being LGBTQ in MENA] [Queering the Middle East] [Seeking Home: The Lives of Gay and Transgender Asylum Seekers of the Middle East] [Trans Muslim Honours His Faith] [Under the Gay Skin of Tehran] [Syrian and Iraqi Members of the LGBT Community Find Safe Haven in Istanbul] [Queer and Muslim] [On Community Spaces and Being A Trans Muslim] [‘Yousef and Farhad’ has been crafted by Algerian-American political cartoonist, Khalil Bendib, and Iranian-American author, Amir Soltani.] [Artist Mohammed Fayaz Draws Queer Muslims of Colour] [Xukia]

Desi LGBTQ Hotline

Queer Pakistan LGBTQ Voice and Support Group [and here is a news article]

Resources

A good thing to remember is to avoid the self-hatred phase, if you can. Focus on loving yourself, and realising that Allah made you just the way you are, and that you are loved, and that none of this is permanent. If this phase is unavoidable, here are some helpful sites:

Help! I’m losing my Islam

Counseling and Prevention Resources

Feeling suicidal?

Suicide prevention

Supporting someone who self-harms

Suicide and Crisis Hotlines

Online Crisis Network (for those with anxiety which prevents them from talking on the phone)

Online Chat (Arabic) for Queer Arabs

If you are a student and would like to get Faisal Alam to speak at your uni, or to see if he is coming to your uni soon, click here.

If you would like to attend Faisal Alam’s Retreat for Queer Muslims and their partners, here is more info.

If you would like to book Irshad Manji for an event click here.

If you are a PoC LGBTQ identified Muslim, QWOC is looking for submissions.

If you are from Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or India and want to share your experiences (anonymously), please click here.

If you are South Asian and queer, consider submitting to Dayaar-e-Yaar! And if you are South Asian, queer, and between 18-25, consider attending this SoCal retreat (deadline for 2015 registration is Dec. 8th, 2014).

If you are a young activist, an independent researcher, a graduate student, or a fresh graduate, consider submitting a paper to the second issue of Kohl,  a journal for body and gender in the MENA region that wishes to explore the ways in which the erotic has been used as a means of economic and political exploitation in the MENA, within the region and outside it. Deadline to submit is Aug 2, 2015.

If you can spare some funds, help navigatethestream, a queer Muslim, become an Imam to help the Muslim LGBT community!

Lastly, here is a link if you are NOT a queer Muslim, but want to be a good ALLY! (And here is another on how NOT to be a saviour!) (And here is another on how to support a queer Muslim you happen to be dating!)

Muslim-Queer-Friendly Blogs:

(

If you’d like to be added to or taken off this list, please

send me an ask

.

)

occupidemuslim

hijabandboijeans

khalvatdaranjuman

navigatethestream

life-via-fo-eyes

living-in-technicolor

misandryad

mizjtoz

thalamtnafsee

alscientist

shootmethenleave

dyemelikeasunset

faineemae

seppin

gschwarzkopf

sllw

linzthenerd

vaginashavefeelingstoo

anartinsorcery

treatquestion

themadmanwithapen

ancientrune

sura93

insecurity-killed-the-cat

thehakawati

qalbesaleem

the-best-medicine

thesoundofthelifeofthemind

findingmotherland

shegufta

agileduck

zahhaked

megavelraptor

eibmorb

maesio

pyar-kiya-to-darna-kiya

postmodernveil

kuroenigma

safawi

casketofpearls

theyhelitsian

nofasciststate

chirikli

cokehabitsdiehard

decimaldot

madeast

lesbehalaaal

4th-world

themindislimitless

brassmanticore

humjinsiyat

Freedom2Be

i-dare-to-dream

babyairnymph

twelvewhispersandbooks

whatamievensaying

whimslcott

haramdaddy

hiraethghost

larriefthalsey

t-pizzazz-a

young-flowerchild

zhangyixings

hairyjamespottery

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More papers/books not previously mentioned: 

BEYOND BINARY BARZAKHS: USING THE THEME OF LIMINALITY IN ISLAMIC THOUGHT TO QUESTION THE GENDER BINARY by Sara Haq Hussaini

The Quilt & Other Stories [translated from Urdu]

American Muslim Women, Religious Authority, and Activism: More Than a Prayer (Louann Atkins Temple Women & Culture Series)

Muslim Girl Article Did Homosexuality Exist Among Islamic Scholars? http://muslimgirl.com/25788/homosexuality-islam-academic-analysis/

FB Page: Muslims Against Homophobia and LGBT Hate

“Mukhannathun – and singular mukhannath – has been translated as “gay,” “queer,” even “third gender,” and none of these are wrong, per se. However, there’s a history behind the word that’s much richer. It all starts with hadith.“  

from” A Muslim RuPaul At The Dawn Of Islam: Tuwais and the Mukhannathun”: http://www.autostraddle.com/a-muslim-rupaul-at-the-dawn-of-islam-tuwais-and-the-mukhannathun-198612/

The Roots of Homophobia and Anti-Gay Sentiment in the Muslim World (by Ali Olomi)

Sublime Quran [a feminist translation] pdf by Laleh Bakhtiar

QURAN A Reformist Translation pdf Translated and Annotated by Edip Yuksel Layth Saleh al-Shaiban Martha Schulte-Nafeh 

Extensive, long but great read: Islamic Law, Homosexuality and the ‘Pulse’ Massacre by Shaykh Atabek

Aljazeera Article on Indonesia’s Trans Imams: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/5/12/indonesias-transgender-priests-face-uncertain-future.html

Same-Sex Relationships & the Fluidity of Marriage in Islamic History (by Ali A. Olomi)

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In Book of Salt, Binh feels alienated from his faith because of his sexuality. This post shows that religion and queerness aren’t mutually exclusive. It rejects and subverts heteropatriarchal perceptions of Islam.

- Lauren Chu

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Like Lorraine has mentioned, language is one tool through which people are included and excluded. Many second (or later) generation Asian Americans can’t speak their parents’ native language, which can make them feel inauthentic and like they aren’t ‘Asian enough.’ Often, they reject learning the language when they are younger because they want to fit in with their ‘American’ peers. As a second gen Asian American I really identified with this feeling of being between ‘Asian’ and ‘American’ and thought this video did a great job of illustrating it!

- Lauren Chu

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For you guys, religion has its cultural value. It’s not like that for me. It’s people calling me terrorist and getting pulled out of airport security lines.

Dev, Master of None (S2E03 - Religion)

For Muslim Americans, religion is often the means by which they are excluded from being ‘true Americans,’ making it difficult to fully embrace. This can create rifts between generations, as older Muslim Americans like Dev’s parents view religion as providing a sense of belonging and unity while younger Muslim Americans like Dev feel stuck between their two ‘sides.’ However, by the end of the episode Dev realizes that he can navigate this in between space and doesn’t have to choose between his ‘Muslim side’ and his ‘American side’.

- Lauren Chu

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A great video featuring Rosa Chen! Chen grew up in a family at the bottom of the economic ladder. Living in San Francisco’s Chinatown, her father is a restaurant cook and her mother does not work because of a disability.

“On the one hand, based on the most common metrics of class position—income and education—Asian Americans as a whole are doing better than any other single racial group, earning more on average than whites, and more likely to graduate from college. But like the rest of the country, income inequality among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders-a diverse grouping of more than 48 ethnic groups-is vast. According to analysis of census data by Karthick Ramakrishnan, PhD, a political scientist at the UC Riverside, about half of all Asian-American income goes to the top 20 percent of Asian-American earners. The bottom 40 percent of Asian-American earners, meanwhile, take home just 13 percent of the income e pot.”

–From NBC series "Class In America: Who Do You Think You Are?" 

Rosa Chen says she didn't realize the depth of her family's financial constraints until she applied for college and financial aid. "I realized that we are not that well off at all,” Chen said. “I would say that we’re financially struggling.” -- Jim Seida / NBC News

Studying in the University of San Francisco, Chen said when people saw her, they assumed she was rich because it was a private college, and it fitted perfectly with the stereotype that Chinese people are rich. Though Chen does not mention how the incongruity between her classmates’ expectation and her real financial status impacts her social life, we do know she doesn’t make much friends with other middle or upper class Chinese Americans. Also, her family’s lower social class can bring many inconvenience and trouble to their daily life. Eviction, an expression of social exclusion, is threatening her family, for the owner of the building where she lives with her parents and one of her older sisters has been threatening recently to evict her family.

--Thea Gu

[wocinsolidarity]

“In a context in which 95 percent of adoptees are girls, it is important to address questions of how racialized desire might intersect with the construction of Asian female bodies. Cheung (2000), for example, argues that in American cultural history Asian women have been endowed with an “excess” of womanhood (alongside the full manhood denied Asian men). And in China/U.S. adoption, mothers Deena Houston and Jackie Kovich were not alone in conjuring the image of beautiful, enthralling Chinese girls. Adoption agencies consistently use photos of cute, dolled-up Asian girls in their advertising; some use phrases such as “From China with Love” to attract would-be parents. Some of those prospective parents said they had become enchanted with their friends’ or neighbors’ Chinese girls. Margaret Jennings said she saw a photo of a Chinese adopted girl in the paper and “knew I wanted to adopt from China right then.” Some expressed embarrassment at what they suspected hinted at “racist love”— embrace of the “acceptable model” of the racial minority (Chan 1972, quoted in Cheung 2000: 309). Just days after she had met her daughter, Barbara and I were discussing what seemed among some new adoptive mothers an obsession with dolling up their daughters, when Barbara stopped to say in a low tone, “I hate to ask this, but are all the children beautiful? It seems like they’re all beautiful.”

Sara Dorow, “Why China?: Identifying Histories of Transnational Adoption,” Asian American Studies Now (2010)   (via wocinsolidarity)

I thought this was a really interesting perspective on transracial adoption. We talked about this topic during our Re Jane discussions with Devon and the article on South Korean adoption, but I had never considered how gendered racism/the objectification of Asian women might play into adoption. While this may seem like an instance of inclusion (ex. of Asian women into ‘Americanness’), this kind of thinking works to amplify Asian women’s “otherness.” 

- Lauren Chu

[resistdrumpf]

Opinion | Aziz Ansari: Why Trump Makes Me Scared for My Family

The son of Muslim immigrants is worried about where his mother will pray.

Written nearly a year ago but more relevant than ever. 

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While in Re Jane, Sang feels included in Americanness after 9/11, Muslim Asian Americans had the opposite experience, facing extreme prejudice and being told that they did not belong in America. It is important to consider the religious diversity within the Asian American community and make sure to show solidarity rather than participating in the exclusion of Muslim Americans through Islamophobia. 

- Lauren Chu

[asianamericanactivism]

Why Asian Americans Are Not Your "Model Minority"

Because 14% of Asian Americans live in poverty.

Because we still face blockades and discrimination in the job market, a.k.a. the “bamboo ceiling.”

Because America still looks at us like we’re “perpetual foreigners.”

Because America still looks at us like we we’re the “yellow peril.”

Because Asian American men are emasculated.

Because Asian American womxn are exoticized and fetishized.

Because a significant number of Asian American youth attend public schools that are under resourced and under privileged.

Because gang violence plagues Asian American communities.

Because Asian Americans lack representation in politics.

Because a significant number of Asian Americans are undocumented.

Because Asian Americans do more than get good grades.

Because Asian Americans are not quiet, passive-aggressive, or submissive.

Because Asian Americans raised hell during the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF).

Because Asian Americans like Yuri Kochiyama and Richard Aoki were part of the Black Power Movement.

Because Asian Americans had their own movement, the Asian American Movement.

Because Asian Americans fought for workers’ rights during the United Farm Workers (UFW) Movement.

Because Asian Americans stood in solidarity when there was no justice for Vincent Chin.

Because Asian immigrant garment workers fought for equal rights when Jessica McClintock tried to deny them fair wages and a safe work environment.

Because we have artists like Magnetic North and Blue Scholars.

Because we are active in the LGBTQQIA community.

Because we fought and are still fighting for a valid education.

Because we are reclaiming our hxstory and redefining our identities.

Because Asian Americans are continuously organizing, mobilizing, and fighting for their communities and for our rightful place in this country.

Because Asian Americans can fucking kick white supremist, nativist, racist, sexist asses. 

Because “model minority” is just a stereotype that attempts to cover the truth and use us as tokens.

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      The designation “Asian American” itself is complex. While Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Americans often occupy positions of privilege in middle- and upper-class America, Asian Americans from countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia are among the most socially and economically disadvantaged in America. It may be true that Asian Americans of higher social class experience more inclusion in American mainstream culture, but if the society only focuses on the good part and uses the same standard to judge the performance of all Asian Americans, those less successful Asian Americans would in turn suffer higher levels of exclusion due to their failure to meet people’s expectations. Model minority myth causes exclusion not only by alienating the less advantaged Asian Americans, but also by separating the entire Asian American community from other minority groups. To Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s word, it is bad is that it creates a single story of all Asian Americans, which is dangerous.

--Thea Gu

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This short film by Wong Fu Production is a great way to think of the question of inclusion and exclusion. I think it’s also especially relevant to us as its about find in and out group in college as an Asian American. It reminds me a lot of the many characters we’ve seen throughout this semester like Jane and Abeer. It reminds us that in and exclusion does not need a resolution and that people should embrace being in the in between. A safe place should be within oneself and their comfort and self-assurance in their identity. Towards the end, we see Leo finally becoming comfortable in himself and his true identity as someone in the in between. Must watch!

-Lorraine Chang

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Asha: You see how he treats me, Auntie?

Denise: Sam, even Lawrence didn't treat you like a Gujarati when you first arrived, though you acted like one.

Sam: You didn't mind how I acted then, Denise.

Asha: And do you know what else, Denise-auntie? He drinks. Not everyday. But when he drinks, it is terrible. He shows me pictures. White women. A black woman. He says to me, 'You see what I had? You see what I had here? I was happy. I was such a happy man before I was made to marry you.' If my father knew. If I was to write a letter to my father, he would come here himself and take me home.

Sam: He won't come here, Sita-devi. On Gore Road, maybe, and then I would have to pick him up. Your father can never come here. He can't get a visa.

Asha: Then I'll go home myself.

Sam: Then go.

Asha: My father is an important administrator in Mangalore. Every ship that comes into the port, my father stamps the papers. If it wasn't for your America, you could not have a high caste like me. What is your father but a man with sons in America?

-Lorraine Chang

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✨all things constance wu✨

I think this page is very inspiring for those minorities like Asian-Americans who are looking for inspiration on how to navigate a world that puts white Caucasians at the top of racial hierarchies. 

Specifically, Constance talks about her rise in a white-dominated Hollywood and how she can use her identity as an Asian-American to help the American audience understand Asian culture. Her identity and her culture becomes a ticket for her inclusion into Hollywood.

Link up there is to her tumblr.

-Lorraine Chang