Can You Be Religious And Queer? | them.
Summary
TLDRThe script explores the intersection of faith, queerness, and identity through personal narratives. It features individuals from various religious backgrounds—Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish—who embrace their LGBTQ+ identities while maintaining strong ties to their faiths. They share their experiences of finding acceptance and peace within their spiritual communities, challenging traditional views on sexuality and religion. The script highlights the power of individuality, the importance of self-acceptance, and the revolutionary act of queer individuals praying and expressing their faith authentically.
Takeaways
- 🌈 The speaker identifies as a queer individual who finds strength and identity in both their faith and their queerness.
- 🙏 The individual's church community played a significant role in their acceptance and coming out as a gay man.
- 🎭 The speaker expresses their spirituality and sexuality through various forms of art, such as drag and theater.
- 🔄 The speaker challenges the traditional binary views of right and wrong, suggesting a more nuanced understanding of faith and identity.
- 🌟 The individual believes in a loving God who accepts them for who they are, including their sexuality.
- 🏛 Raised Catholic, the speaker values the Sunday tradition and the sense of community it provides.
- 🕌 The speaker also identifies with Islam, having grown up in an Afghan community, and finds ways to practice within a busy life.
- 🤔 The speaker questions the expectations placed upon them by their religious and cultural backgrounds, seeking personal authenticity.
- 🏳️🌈 The individual's queerness and faith coexist, and they do not see a conflict between believing in God and being queer.
- 👨👩👧👦 The speaker's family is supportive of their identity, although societal expectations can still create tension.
- 💅 The speaker uses their platform to advocate for acceptance and understanding of the LGBT community within religious contexts.
Q & A
How does the speaker's religious faith influence their identity as a drag queen?
-The speaker's religious faith in Jesus and their Catholic upbringing has a significant influence on their identity as a drag queen. They believe that Jesus loves them for who they are, including their queerness, and that their faith gives them the strength to express themselves authentically.
What was the speaker's experience growing up in a Catholic environment?
-The speaker grew up in a Catholic environment that was more about lifting themselves and others up. This upbringing provided a sense of peace and centeredness, which was beneficial for their personal growth and acceptance of their identity.
How does the speaker's Afghan background influence their religious and cultural identity?
-The speaker's Afghan background, coming from a close-knit community in Queens, has allowed them to have a strong affinity for Islam. They find that combining their cultural and religious identities has been beneficial, as it provides a more nuanced understanding of their faith.
What is the speaker's perspective on the relationship between spirituality and sexuality?
-The speaker views spirituality and sexuality as interconnected. They believe in God and feel loved by Jesus not in spite of, but because of their sexuality, suggesting a harmonious relationship between their spiritual beliefs and their sexual identity.
How does the speaker navigate their identity as a queer Muslim?
-The speaker navigates their identity as a queer Muslim by finding personal ways to practice their faith, such as using their tesba (Muslim rosaries) on the subway for meditation and remembering God. They also challenge the notion that their identity should be 'extra hard' by asserting that being queer, a woman, or gender non-conforming is inherently challenging in the world.
What was the speaker's experience growing up in an ultra-Orthodox community?
-The speaker grew up in an ultra-Orthodox community where there were many rules and expectations about their role in society. They felt constrained by these expectations and found that their individuality and passion for life did not fit within the community's norms.
How did the speaker's family react to their coming out?
-The speaker's family was very supportive when they came out. It is suggested that they knew about the speaker's sexuality before the speaker did. However, there were still challenges due to the expectations of each other and the speaker's more outspoken nature.
What is the speaker's view on the relationship between Catholicism and the LGBT community?
-The speaker believes that Catholicism is fundamentally about love and that congregations that exclude the LGBT community are misinterpreting the Bible. They participate in Pride marches with members of their church, indicating a belief in the compatibility of faith and sexual identity.
How does the speaker feel about the societal acceptance of queerness compared to Muslims and immigrants?
-The speaker feels that society spends more time normalizing queerness and LGBT identity than it does accepting Muslims and immigrants. They find that their queerness makes them more palatable and safe in the eyes of others, which is a complex dynamic given their Muslim identity.
What does the speaker do to express their love for acting and queerness?
-The speaker engages in Yiddish theater and drag comedy, allowing them to express their queerness and love for acting. They find it particularly meaningful to perform as a queer woman in Yiddish, combining their cultural, religious, and sexual identities.
How does the speaker reconcile their religious beliefs with their queerness in their performances?
-The speaker sees their performances, especially in drag, as a way to express their beauty and thank God for who they are. They view their queerness as a part of their identity that is loved by God and does not conflict with their faith.
Outlines
🌈 Embracing Faith and Queer Identity
This paragraph explores the intersection of spirituality and queerness, highlighting the speaker's journey as a gay man who finds solace and affirmation in his faith. Raised Catholic, the individual credits his church for providing a supportive environment that nurtured his identity without suppressing his queerness. The narrative touches on the struggle with societal norms and the fear of God instilled during upbringing, contrasting it with a personal understanding of a loving God who accepts him as he is. The speaker also reflects on the importance of Sunday traditions and the peace it brings, as well as the cultural and religious identity fusion experienced as an Afghan immigrant in the United States. The paragraph concludes with a call for acceptance and love, emphasizing that belief in God does not conflict with being part of the LGBT community.
📿 Balancing Religion and Personal Truths
The second paragraph delves into the complexities of reconciling religious beliefs with personal truths, particularly for those who identify as queer and religious. The speaker discusses the challenges of growing up in an ultra-Orthodox community where individuality was often overshadowed by communal expectations. Despite the pressure to conform, the speaker found personal fulfillment in pursuing a life that aligns with their passions, including the desire to be a mother. The narrative also touches on the support received from family upon coming out and the ongoing struggle with societal and religious expectations. The speaker advocates for a broader understanding of religion that includes love and acceptance, rather than exclusion based on cherry-picked interpretations of religious texts. The paragraph ends with a reflection on the transformative power of faith and the potential for change in societal attitudes towards the LGBT community.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Drag Queen
💡Queer Muslims
💡Interconnected
💡Catholicism
💡Afghan Community
💡Ultra Orthodox
💡LGBT Community
💡Queer Identity
💡Yiddish Theater
💡Drag Comedy
💡Acceptance
Highlights
A drag queen's love for Jesus and the power of praying alongside queer Muslims.
The speaker's identity as a gay man, influenced by their church and faith in Jesus.
The interconnection of spirituality and sexuality in the speaker's life.
Growing up Catholic and the importance of Sunday church tradition for peace and community.
The speaker's Afghan background and the benefits of combining cultural and religious identities.
The diversity of Islamic practices and the personal ways of connecting with faith.
The challenge of being both Muslim and queer and the misconceptions faced.
Growing up in an ultra-Orthodox community and the struggle with individuality and community expectations.
The speaker's passion for motherhood and the conflict with traditional gender roles.
A personal revelation of being gay and the acceptance from the speaker's family.
The speaker's perspective on Catholicism's message of love versus exclusionary practices.
The annual participation in New York City Pride with church members.
The speaker's belief in God's creation of their sexual orientation and the desire for easier acceptance by parents.
The paradox of being a queer Muslim and the societal perceptions that come with it.
The speaker's experience of queerness making them more palatable in society than their immigrant parents.
The importance of cultural modesty when returning to the family and the speaker's negotiation with their identity.
The acceptance of the speaker's father towards their dating life and the contrast with religious expectations.
The speaker's reflections on the slow progress of religious institutions in accepting queerness and their hopeful outlook.
The revolutionary act of a queer Muslim praying and the affirmation of existence despite societal norms.
The speaker's involvement in Yiddish theater and the joy of expressing queer love in performance.
The speaker's drag comedy and the connection between performing and thanking God for their abilities.
Transcripts
you can be a drag queen that loves Jesus
to pray alongside a queer Muslims there
is so much power there I feel very
Jewish very queer very human
[Music]
it would not have come out as a gay man
if it weren't for my church I would not
go walking through the streets and make
up and in drag if it weren't
for my faith in Jesus
I was put into this world and this
community of things like black and white
this is right and this is wrong
fear of God was put in me but actual God
wasn't a boogeyman
I did ask God to make me a blonde thin
white girl
but I never asked him to take away my
queerness
spirituality and sexuality are very
interconnected
I believe in God I believe that Jesus
Loves Me because I'm gay not in spite of
my sexuality
I was raised Catholic and as far back as
I can remember we went to church this
Sunday tradition centers me it gives me
peace to go throughout my week this is
the one place I know my lines you know I
felt fortunate enough to grow up in a
church that was much more about lifting
myself and others around me up
growing up
came to the United States from
Afghanistan and had a very close-knit
Afghan community in Queens there's been
a benefit for me to collapse cultural
and religious identities because without
having the two of them together I
wouldn't have had such a strong affinity
for Islam
there's no singular narrative on how
Islam looks and how it's done right some
days my call to prayer goes off of my
phone and I say a prayer in my head and
some days it's just using my tesba or my
Muslim rosaries on the subway to
meditate and remember God
when I tell people that I'm Muslim and
queer there's always this question that
comes up in queer circles oh that must
be so hard
it's hard for any of us to be queer or
women or of gender non-conforming in
this world
why is my identity as a Muslim extra
hard than anybody else's identity
I grew up in an ultra Orthodox community
in this SEC called satmer there's a lot
of rules everything is about the
community
I'm very much an individual
I have to be greater and larger and then
I can add to the world and over there I
couldn't do that
it's a little hard to explain what I was
expected to be because
you're supposed to be passionate but
passionate about God I'm passionate
about wanting to be a mom so I was never
told to be small but I was told that I
had a role to play
matchmakers are are real and I was 19
almost 20 and I get married
I tried to make it make sense for me
it never fit it never felt like it fit
first time I had a date with a woman and
we kissed on that date I knew what to do
and it made sense
and then I didn't have the question
my family was very supportive of me
coming out I think they definitely knew
before I did
but because we're human and we have
expectations of each other it still can
be tough because I am a little bit more
outspoken and because I'm doing this
interview with nail polish on
Catholicism is about love
and congregations that excommunicate the
LGBT community are cherry-picking the
Bible for hate
I March every year in New York City
Pride with members of my church
believing in God and believing in Jesus
do not have to conflict
[Music]
I didn't ever ask God to change my
sexual orientation
because it felt exciting I knew God made
me the way I was meant to be I just wish
God would make it easier for
my parents
the funny thing is as a queer Muslim in
this country
my queerness gives me access to a
Humanity that my parents do not have
I'm more palatable than they are
I don't know it's because my queerness
subverts Islam and as a result makes my
Islam safer for people
we spent so much more time in this
country normalizing queerness and LGBT
identity then Muslims and immigrants
when I go back to my family I'll wear a
skirt I'll cover my elbows and
collarbone because those are very sexy
parts of a woman's body
um with my Dad we talked about
gay people
so nervous to tell him he's like I'm
dating this woman and he's just like
okay and and I was like and like what's
your what and to him it was I was
religious so I'm not following the rules
anyway
he's like do I like it no do I accept it
yes
I don't think I've ever had total
Acceptance in my life
I've had acceptance of this is who you
are
I haven't had it's good Who You Are
religion is an institution and the study
of human sexuality is
so small in comparison to the history of
the church that I recognize it's not
going to catch up in my lifetime to
where I'm at as a gay man
but who knows maybe the world will
surprise me
religion and faith is the reason that
we're told you can't be gay or you can't
be queer or that your gender identity is
not allowed for many of us
and so a queer person or a queer Muslim
praying
I think is actually pretty revolutionary
even if everyone says you're not
supposed to be that person you know what
you exist I do Yiddish theater
and I did this play and it was like a
lesbian love story and be able to
do something I love which is act play a
queer woman which I am
and to say all these loving things and
sexual things to this woman in Yiddish
is really amazing the things that I was
able to express that brought together
all these
things in my life I do drag comedy I'm
an outspoken Catholic
when I put on my face for a performance
I'm doing so to make myself look as
beautiful as possible
that's another moment I thank God
thank you
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