1. 2012 Retreat for
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Muslims
May 25-28, 2012
Philadelphia, PA
Theme: “Al-Jama’ah –
Building a Community”
Youth Scholarship
Applicants’ Demographic
Information

2. Ages of Youth Applicants
3 3
2 2
1 1 1
18 y.o. 19 y.o. 20 y.o. 21 y.o. 22 y.o. 23 y.o. 24 y.o.

3. Describe your involvement within your campus or
community? What social justice, LGBT or Muslim
organizations are you involved with?
“I just recently started organizing Arab LGBTQ women in (my
state), which have made us face many dangerous encounters
, personal struggles and obstacles! How ever we are here and
we exist!
And within that underground community there is a general
understanding that Islam and homosexuality can never work.
and women of other religion tend to bash Islam from their own
pain from the patriarchal events they faced. Knowing more
about this retreat and LGBT and Islam will be all brought to the
group and discussed thoroughly .”

4. Gender Identity
Undefined, Queer
1 Woman, 1
Female, 3
Femme, 1
Male, 5 FTM, 1
Genderqueer, 1

5. How will attending the retreat help you in your journey as an
LGBT Muslim?
"I already know that my life will be dedicated to pursuing social
and economic justice on a large scale. I know that we as
Muslims can only find our liberation when we are not
oppressing one another. We must have our own backyard in
order before we can pursue peace and justice as a community.
And so this retreat fits into my journey because it will allow me
to meet other Muslims who have the same goals, and we can
share what we have learned and come away better equipped to
do this very important work. Not only will I be better informed
after attending the retreat, but I will be secure knowing that I
am doing the right work."

6. Sexual Orientation
4 4
1 1 1 1 1
Bisexual Gay Lesbian Pansexual Queer Undefined Bisexual /
Queer

7. Describe your involvement within your campus or
community? What social justice, LGBT or Muslim
organizations are you involved with?
“In high school I was president of the Gay-Straight Alliance
In college I worked with a group of progressive people of
faith to become ambassadors to the other faith
organizations on campus. I am a religious education
teacher within the Ismaili community, as well as being a
certified teacher educator and am the lead on a number of
national projects within the community, including adult
religious education.”

8. Religious Identity
Reform Muslim 1
Muslim, Shia, Progressive 1
Muslim & Christian 1
Imami Nizar Ismaili Muslim 1
Culturally Muslim 1
Muslim 8

9. How will attending the retreat help you in your journey as an
LGBT Muslim?
"Along with struggling for my sexual identity in a hetero-
normative world, I’ve been struggling for a place in my faith.
To find a group of people that share not only one of my
identities, but two of them – it is a blessing and a gift. I have
had trouble figuring out where I fit in as a Muslim and a
Queer, and would like to learn how others have navigated or
are navigating that space."

10. Coming From…
Waltham Massachusetts
Lawrence Kansas
Ann Arbor Michigan
Toronto Canada
Detroit Michigan
Washington DC
Toronto Canada
Bronx New York
Somerville Massachusetts
Miramar Florida
Providence Rhode Island
Gizah Egypt

11. How will attending the retreat help you in your journey as
an LGBT Muslim?
“I still struggle being gay and Muslim. But the more I
surround myself with people that accept me and are like me,
the more I can grow and gain more confidence as a person. I
was very happy to find out that there are many gay Muslims
like myself and didn’t realize that there was that many. It
made me very emotional in a good way to see that I’m not
the only one that struggles with this issue. And that I’m able
to relate and share my issues with the LGBT Muslim
community. It was very reassuring and I would like to attend
this upcoming 2012 retreat.”

12. 13 LGBT Muslim Scholarship Applicants
who are Ages 25 and Under.
$5,000 to Support Their Attendance to the
2012 LGBT Muslim Retreat
Help us bring them to this amazing,
safe, open and welcoming event.
Thank you for your generous support.
http://www.lgbtmuslimretreat.com/donations