Beyond Tradition: Decolonizing LGBTQ+ Arab Identity Abroad

Text by Moe Mustafa
Moe is a Palestinian/Jordanian sound/visual artist and performer, based in Helsinki. 

For many queer Arabs living abroad, dating apps can be a bittersweet lifeline—a rare space to connect with others who share both their sexuality and cultural background. Yet, as one encounter after another reveals, meeting another Arab on these platforms often stirs a complicated reaction: unease, secrecy, even distrust. Why does this discomfort persist, even in supposedly more tolerant societies?

The answer lies not only in traditional or religious values but in a complex web of historical, cultural, and colonial influences. Anti-LGBTQ+ laws introduced by British colonial powers still haunt the Arab world, while Western media has projected an image of queerness as inherently foreign. Caught between these influences, LGBTQ+ Arabs abroad find themselves in a “double exile,” pressured to conform to Western norms on one side and conservative expectations from their communities on the other. In this article, I explore the roots of this conflict and argue for a decolonized approach to LGBTQ+ Arab identity—one that honors both self-acceptance and cultural belonging.

The legacy of colonialism is inseparable from the legal and social frameworks governing sexuality in many Arab countries today. In 1885, Britain issued a law condemning any act of gross indecency between men. Soon after, France issued a similar law. Meanwhile, France used Ottoman treatment of Christians in the holy lands as an excuse to extend its influence over the area.1 The initial drive for greater British involvement in the Middle East began when the Ottoman Empire joined World War I alongside the Central Powers in late October 1914.2

Part of the Arab world was colonized by the British and French, who amended the region’s laws, including the criminalization of homosexuality. Of the 70 countries that still criminalize homosexual acts today, more than half are former British colonies. After gaining independence, only Jordan and Bahrain removed these penalties. Additionally, conservative interpretations of sharia law in local courts have made life challenging for homosexuals. In countries like Egypt, where homosexuality itself is not explicitly illegal, vaguely defined “morality” laws are frequently used to target individuals accused of “promoting sexual deviancy” and similar offenses.3

In the Arab-Muslim world, understandings of sexuality are traditionally grounded in Quranic teachings, which outline what is permissible and forbidden concerning bodily practices. Unlike Christianity, which condemns carnal sins and primarily views sexual acts as a means of procreation, Islamic texts regard sexuality positively but only within the context of marriage.  4

The impact of colonization, along with ongoing struggles for independence, continues to influence the region’s political and social landscapes. Consequently, in recent decades, this part of the world has tightened its laws and attitudes toward homosexuality. The growth of Islamic fundamentalism in the 1980s occurred alongside the emergence of the gay rights movement in America and Europe, intensifying cultural divides. As homosexuality became linked with Western values, politicians found it easier to exploit anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments for political advantage. Yet, due to Western influence, present despite decolonization processes, the categorization of sexuality as synonymous with identity has disrupted traditional understandings in the region.4

In his 2002 article, “The Gay International,” Joseph Massad, a professor of Arab political and intellectual history at Columbia University, criticizes the influence of prominent American organizations like ILGA and IGLHRC on the Arab-Muslim world. Massad argues that their advocacy for sexual minority rights is marked by Western dominance. Although this struggle has led to progress in the West, it imposes a Western framework on homosexuality, politicizing homoerotic practices and distinctly separating homosexuality from heterosexuality based on Western gender relations. 5

Western countries have pressured the Arab world to accept LGBTQ+ rights. However, the global adoption of LGBTQ+ rights is primarily driven by North American and European nations, which has caused resistance in the Arab world against colonial influence. Thus, the prohibition of homosexuality in the Arab world became a political and cultural identity response to Western influence. This rigidity is especially strong in countries where political Islam is significant. 3

While Western countries advocate for LGBTQ+ liberation in the Arab world, they create challenges for Arab queer communities seeking their own liberation. For example, the popular American TV series Friends contained many references to homosexuality, particularly lesbianism. The series associated sexuality, liberation, and freedom with Israel’s branding as an open-minded and tolerant state, which, due to the ongoing occupation of Palestine, reinforced the sense of queerness as Western. This association fueled cultural resistance to LGBTQ+ identities, viewed by some as Western constructs imposed on Arab societies. Jordan, for instance, stopped airing Friends, seeing it as a threat to traditional values.

Because homosexuality is often viewed as a Western ideology, many Arab gays and queers living abroad in more tolerant societies find themselves in a double bind, caught between the Western image of homosexuality and their own traditional values. Many feel that divorcing religion is the only way to accept themselves as homosexuals in Western communities. This causes friction in the community, as those who wish to maintain their religious connection are looked down upon and considered conservative or untrustworthy. Fear thus deepens. Meanwhile, those who adopt the Western image of homosexuality form their own community, often more accepted in the gay community. I’ve personally faced criticism from both Arabs and non-Arab gays for not drinking alcohol, praying, or believing in God. I have been labeled conservative for not following what the Western community expects. This cultural colonialization and social turmoil only fuel our inner struggle—shame.

Alan Downs, a psychologist, in his book the velvet rage, identifies shame as a pervasive feeling that stems from the internalized belief of being ”wrong” or ”flawed,” a belief many gay men are socialized to hold from a young age, often due to familial, societal, or religious pressures. 6

Shame is significant within gay identity; it is something we all have felt. When shame is intertwined with social hierarchy, religion, and family values, it creates trust issues, common among Arab gays abroad. Due to colonial notions of homosexuality, questions such as, “Are you conservative?” “Are you religious?” “Do you practice Islam?” tap into shame, triggering trauma and feelings of insecurity. Shame, in this context, is embedded within us due to colonial ideologies of homosexuality, leading us to conceal our true selves for acceptance.

After living 14 years in Europe, I finally understood that to fully accept myself as a homosexual, I need to unpack my tradition and expand it to include voices previously silenced. We must learn to reconcile being Muslim and homosexual, an individual journey that one must go through. We must also treat religion and sexuality as unique entities, without silencing one over the other. We should give space for those who need religious connection to speak openly without being labeled conservative or outcast. Only then can we foster discussion and allow other voices to emerge. Solidifying our identity as Muslim LGBTQ+ individuals requires understanding our history to decolonize our approach to living as Muslim LGBTQ+ people. We must realize that queerness was never solely a Western invention and dismantle this concept in our society. By reclaiming our cultural frameworks, we can redefine what it means to be queer and Arab in a way that includes, rather than excludes, our heritage.

Modern Arab-Islamic societies often understood same-sex attraction as a behavior or form of affection. Love and admiration between men, especially in Sufi poetry and mysticism, were openly expressed without the modern stigmatization tied to “homosexual” identity. El-Rouayheb reveals that same-sex love was frequently celebrated in literature and poetry, distinct from sexual acts, which were discussed separately within moral and religious discourse. This perspective challenges the assumption that queerness or same-sex attraction is exclusively Western, highlighting that cultures across history have had unique frameworks for interpreting these desires. 7

One of the most beautiful love stories ever written is Rumi’s love for his beloved Shams al-Din. After Shams’s disappearance, Rumi dedicated his life to Sufism as a way to search for his lover, with every piece he wrote a love letter to Shams, hoping to be reunited one day.

References

1. Transjordan Mandate. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.britishempire.co.uk/maproom/transjordan.htm#google_vignette

2. Britain and the Middle East from 1914 to the Present | Encyclopedia.com. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/britain-and-middle-east-1914-present

3. How homosexuality became a crime in the Middle East. Accessed October 25, 2024. https://www.economist.com/open-future/2018/06/06/how-homosexuality-became-a-crime-in-the-middle-eastutm_medium=cpc.adword.pd&utm_source=google&ppccampaignID=18151738051&ppcadID=&utm_campaign=a.22brand_pmax&utm_content=conversion.direct-response.anonymous&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADf4AbYeSRErvddp1wtHLiUebQ1QI&gclid=CjwKCAjwg24BhB_EiwA1ZOx8rXumDEl5Woi5mT171cbVCGRTBG12mn-pwtGomNSGRyXwryzelBXIBoCMGkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

4. Zineb Khelif. Homosexuality and Gender Relations in the Arab-Muslim World – Institut du Genre en Géopolitique. Homosexuality and gender relations in the Arab-Muslim world. Gender in Geopolitics Institute. https://igg-geo.org/?p=14282&lang=en. 2023. Accessed October 25, 2024. https://igg-geo.org/en/2023/07/19/homosexuality-and-gender-relations-in-the-arab-muslim-world/

5. Massad, Re-Orienting Desire.

6. Alan Downs. The Velvet Rage Summary – Alan Downs. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.shortform.com/pdf/the-velvet-rage-pdf-alan-downs

7. Khaled El-Rouayhebz. Before Homosexuality in the Arab-Islamic World 1500-1800 by Khaled El-Rouayheb. Published online November 1, 2005.