A number of religious traditions are struggling with issues of inclusivity and respect for LGBTQ+ people. It’s a struggle that is particularly challenging within the Muslim community, in which there are only a handful of openly gay Imams. This week, Welton will sit down with one of those imams – Imam Daayiee Abdullah – to talk about the intersection of faith and sexuality and his experience creating a more inclusive faith community. Imam Abdullah is the founder of Masjid An-Nur Al-Isslaah in Washington, D.C., and executive director of MECCA Institute (Muslim Education Center for Creative Academics).
This conversation is part of Whosoever You Love, our semi-monthly series affirming the worth and full value of LGBTQ persons within and beyond religion. This series, so important at a time when anti-LGBTQ sentiment is being stoked for nakedly partisan political purposes, is supported by the Arcus Foundation, dedicated to the idea that people can live in harmony with one another and the natural world. Learn more about Arcus and its partners at ArcusFoundation.org. And see the full series of interviews at whosoeveryou.love.
Hear the full July 13, 2019 State of Belief Radio program here.