Sexuality in the shadows of a friendship: An intimate portrayal of friendship between two British Pakistani lesbians

ABSTRACT

Friendships have the potential to transform and reconfigure lives and improve one's health and mental well-being through mutual affection, understanding, care, and love. The social, cultural, and religious ostracism British Pakistani lesbians encounter in their lives means that their friendships, in particular with other lesbians, are crucial for fostering a sense of self-acceptance and personal enrichment. Friendship can provide a supportive network, refuge, and respite from a repressive social, cultural, and family environment, especially for those who feel ostracized and marginalized. Based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with two British Pakistani lesbian friends, the study investigates the relationship between friendship and sexual identity, exploring how each friend negotiated her own sexual identity in the context of the friendship and whether the friendship itself served as a catalyst for self-acceptance. The case study offers an intriguing account of the importance of friendship and the role it plays in mitigating the isolation and disconnectedness caused by societal homophobia.

KEYWORDS:

• British Pakistani
• friendship
• lesbian
• support
• women

Notes on contributor

Dr. Asifa Siraj is an independent researcher based in Scotland, UK. Her research interests are based on Islam, gender, and sexual identities, and she has published in these areas through an exploration of the lives of heterosexual and gay/lesbian Muslims in Britain. She is currently engaged in research that focuses on the intersections of faith, sexuality, and gender in the lives of British Muslim lesbians.