Affirming, intersectional spaces & positive religious coping: evidence-based strategies to improve the mental health of LGBTQ-identifying Muslims

ABSTRACT

The interplay between Islam, sexuality, and mental health is complex. In large population studies, religiosity is associated with positive mental health outcomes. However, the data among LGBTQ populations is mixed. Structural, interpersonal, and individual forms of religious trauma may adversely affect the mental health of queer people in religious households, but robust social support can remedy these effects. In particular, the dual-identities of LGBTQ-identifying Muslims complicate their relationships with both religious and queer communities. Here, we present models of LGBTQ-inclusive Muslim spaces as intersectional pathways to positive mental health outcomes, simultaneously offering networks of social support and opportunities to engage with healthy religious coping mechanisms.

KEYWORDS:

• Islam
• Muslims
• LGBTQ
• intersectionality
• mental health
• LGBTQ Muslims

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Koenig, “Research on Religion”, 289.

2 Dahl and Galliher, “LGBTQ Adolescents”, 1614-5.

3 Lefevor, Huffman, and Blaber, “Traumatic Conservative Religious Environments”, 318.

4 Ceatha et al., “The Power of Recognition”, 3636.

5 Lipka, Muslims and Islam, Pew Research Center.

6 Koenig, “Research on Religion”, 285-287.

7 VanderWeele et al., “Lower Suicide Rates”, 845.

8 King, Cummings, and Whetstone, “Attendance at Religious Services”, 293.

9 Chen et al., “Religious Participation”, 150.

10 Davis III and Kiang, “Religious Identity, Religious Participation”, 543.

11 Koenig, “Research on Religion”, 285.

12 Ibid.

13 Ibid.

14 Ibid.

15 Li et al., “Religious Service Attendance”, 877.

16 Ibid, 882.

17 Ibid, 880.

18 Garssen, Visser, and Pool, “Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Studies”, 13.

19 Ronneberg et al., “A 2-year Prospective Study”, 428.

20 Dahl and Galliher, “LGBTQ Adolescents”, 1611-2.

21 Ibid, 1614-15.

22 Lefevor, Huffman, and Blaber, “Traumatic Conservative Religious Environments”, 318.

23 Ibid, 319.

24 Ibid.

25 Ibid, 320.

26 Dahl and Galliher, “LGBTQ Adolescents”, 1615.

27 Lefevor, Huffman, and Blaber, “Traumatic Conservative Religious Environments”, 322.

28 Wood and Conley, “Religious or Spiritual Identities”, 101-103.

29 McDavitt et al., “Cope with Heterosexism”, 371-372.

30 Mason and Lewis, “Minority stress”, 984.

31 Krueger et al., “Young Adult Coping Disparities”, 750-751.

32 Miller, Watson, and Eisenberg, “Family Acceptance and Religion”, 33.

33 Gibbs and Goldbach, “Religious Conflict, Sexual Identity”, 478.

34 Shilo, Yossef, and Savaya, “Religious Coping Strategies”, 1556-7.

35 Ibid,1551.

36 Lipka, Muslims and Islam, Pew Research Center.

37 Surat ash-shùarā’ (the poets) - سورة الشعراء. The Noble Qur'an.

38 The Quranic Arabic Corpus - Translation. Chapter (4) sūrat l-nisāa (The Women).

39 Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud). Sunnah.com.

40 Jaspal, “British Pakistani Gay Men”, 772-3.

41 Ibid, 773.

42 Etengoff and Rodriguez, “‘Exploring Lesbian Muslims’ Experiences”, 1181-2.

43 Ibid, 1182-3.

44 Miller, Watson, and Eisenberg, “Family Acceptance and Religion”, 33.

45 Etengoff and Rodriguez, “‘Exploring Lesbian Muslims’ Experiences”, 1181-2.

46 Hamid, and Ibrahim, “Governance of Religious Diversity”, 181-182.

47 Ibid.

48 Rahman and Valliani, “Experiences of LGBT Muslims”, 74-76.

49 Thompson. “Becoming Muslims”, 129–133.

50 Ibid, 132.

51 Rahman and Valliani, “Experiences of LGBT Muslims”, 81.

52 Ibid.

53 Alvi and Zaidi, “‘Intersectional Lives”, 1006-7.

54 Minwalla et al., “Identity Experience”, 121.

55 The MASGD. Retrieved from https://www.themasgd.org/

56 MASGD [@themasgd]. “Last week of Ramadan!”

57 Ibid.

58 Ibid.

59 The MASGD. Retrieved from https://www.themasgd.org/

60 Muslims for progressive values. Retrieved from https://www.mpvusa.org/

61 Our story. Juma Circle. Retrieved from http://www.jumacircle.com/who-we-are

62 Queer Muslims of Boston [@queermuslimsofboston].

63 Queer Muslim Network Toronto [@queermuslimnetwork]

64 The MASGD. Retrieved from https://www.themasgd.org/

65 MASGD [@themasgd]. “Ramadan”

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Adnan S. Askari

Adnan S. Askari is a senior at Yale College studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He is the Director of Volunteering at Y2Y New Haven, a student-led initiative to create an overnight housing program for young people experiencing homelessness in New Haven. Most guests served by Y2Y are LGBTQ-identifying and struggle with mental health conditions. He is also involved with Yale's Muslim Student Association.

Benjamin Doolittle

Benjamin Doolittle is a Professor of Internal Medicine & Pediatrics at Yale Medical School, and a Professor of Religion and Health at Yale Divinity School. He is the Program Director of Yale's combined internal medicine-pediatrics residency program and Director of the Yale Program for Medicine, Spirituality, and Religion.