TQMP: A Boon For Queer Muslims

The Queer Muslim Project (TQMP) is a project started by Rafiul Alom Rahman, a resident of Delhi who hails from Assam. Recently, the group organised an inter-faith iftar to promote love and acceptance.

The organisation was founded in 2017 and ever since then strived to help Muslims who belong to the LGBTQIA community. Rahman also believes that homosexuality is not un-Islamic. Muslims keep pointing the story of Lot wherein two young messengers (angels) came to Lot’s house in the corrupt city of Sodom. The townspeople, not listening to Lots warning, came to assault the two handsome messengers and Lot pleaded them to seek sexual gratification in a lawful manner. But the townspeople did not listen and the messengers destroyed the city of Sodom. However, most people believe the city was evil not because of homosexuality and rather because of sexual assault.

Rahman also disbelieves that homosexuality is a crime and wants Muslims to have a platform to discuss their queerness. He also states that these Muslims not only suffer because of the inability to have a conversation about their sexuality, but also suffer from the growing rate of Islamophobia in the country and abroad.

TQMP has a huge fan following on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. There are many Muslims who feel that they have benefitted from the help provided by TQMP. Rahman was deeply inspired by queer movements such as Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity (MASGD) and Muslims for Progressive Values which were successful in the West.

However, it isn’t all smooth sailing for the organisation. Many people are still against homosexuality and Rahman has received a lot of backlash from them. He tries to explain to them through a scientific and rational basis but that wouldn’t always work. However, the hate mails don’t put him down. Rahman feels that the love he gets online is much more than the hate, and that compensates for the hate mails.