Is there an LGBT+ friendly Islam?

Islam is generally much more conservative that Christianity and more prevalent in developing nations, so it isn't surprising they dislike gays even more.

 

The question really is, is there anything in the Koran itself about it... I dont know personally? But if there is then anybody LGBT+ is going to be in for a hard time for the foreseeable future. By definition a Muslim cannot disagree with anything the Koran says . If it's only in the hadiffs then there is hope for change, if not now

Eta: the point is that personal opinion is not allowed to come into it if it's in the Koran. A Muslim could want in their heart to be fair, but if there is a passage such as Lev 20:18 sitting in there, any poor person born to a Muslim family faces persecution or at least complete ostracism if they admit it.

Of course not all Muslims are hardcore, many do seek a less dogmatic path etc, but there is much less flexibility in general, than Christians have.

 

There are more progressive forms of Islam like Bahai, though I have no idea if they're pro-LGBT or not.

 

^Bahá'í is not actually a form of Islam, but rather a separate religion started by a Persian, that espouses a pluralistic "unity of religion" view. Although Bahá'ís do not openly believe in discrimination against homosexuality, they still believe that homosexual sex is forbidden. You're going to be hard-pressed to find a religion that doesn't. It seems that condemning same-sex relations is a universal staple of religious doctrine.

In the Qur'an the passages against homosexuality are few and far between (this is also interesting--considering that most religions are so vehemently opposed to homosexuality, yet the lines against homosexuality are usually more scant than the negative reaction would have you believe). The only line that really offers a legal punishment for homosexuality seems to be condemning it more as a form of adultery (i.e. two men have left their women and had sex with each other--thus they're being punished for adultery, and homosexuality is only secondary). The main prohibitions against homosexuality in Islam come from the Hadith, rather than the Qur'an. One such line includes: "If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did (a common euphemism for sodomy in Islam), kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done."

Every Muslim majority nation in the world signed a 2008 resolution opposing LGBT rights.

There was a group called Al-Fatiha, that supported LGBT rights and recognized LGBT Muslims: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Fatiha_Foundation

Expectedly, a fatwa was issued against them calling for their deaths. It later dissolved.

So no, the prospects are not good.

 

At least the truly negative parts are only in the hadith, not good right now but they can at least be challenged. My studies have never turned to Islam in depth so wasn't sure.

 

Yes, that is true, the Hadith is more easily challenged than the Qur'an itself. Most of the lines that radicals use today to support violent jihad and killing of apostates also come from the Hadith and not the Qur'an.

 

Keep meaning to have a more detailed look lol, but never get round to it. My academic focus has been elsewhere

 

Someone is muslim if they define themselves as such. To believe in the absolute and literal truth of religious texts is called being a fundamentalist which most religious people aren't. There are many people who find it compatible to be both religious and not homophobic, including muslims.



Islam is a pretty conservative religion re gay rights/ women's rights etc and muslim majority nations need to secularise like the west has before lgbt people and women are going to be treated anything close to equally

 

Islam in the east and middle east is definitely more conservative compared to Islam in the west. I know in the United States (a country with arguably the most progressive Muslim population), Muslims tend to be about 50/50 when it comes to LGBTQ rights (when it comes to marriage equality, they polled higher in support than many denominations of Christianity). The people who tend to be against it the most are the actual people running the Mosques, and the fundamentalists (just like in Christianity). "Lips" Muslims are much more progressive on the issue of LGBTQ rights.

 

Yes and no. I do know the difference between liberal and fundamentalist But arguing with the Koran is actually forbidden so far as I know its actually written into the law dictated by it. Arguing the hadiths is a different matter.you can't actually argue over the verses inclusion although you might argue over it's precise meaning

 

To clarify, that last sentence refers to the Koran.

 

There are queer feminist women who identify as Muslim.

 

One of the many reason why I think this new liberal "progressive" word islamophobia is a joke... How about Naziphobia or Crazy-ideologies-phobia?

I don't give a shit if people believe the shit themselves, but when they force their shit onto others, that's when I get pissed off. I mean come on, read the Quran and tell me that you believe Islam is "the religion of peace". If people actually live by this book I don't see how that society is any better than Nazi Germany to be frank, because it is not, by any means, a "nice" book. I'm not gonna sugar coat it because that is the reality of it and I don't understand why people take it into defense when it is indisputably fucking crazy.

 

The Quran was a very progressive, political text. In its time. A long time ago, that is.
There is not a single religion of peace. There are many religions, and they have higher concentrations in different socio-economic circumstances in different geographical areas.
High ethics is often a rich privilege. Therefore people can argue e.g. that Christianity, which is more concentrated in rich countries, is more peaceful than Islam (take Bill Maher, the idiot, for example), but they miss the entire point.

I don't mind people taking inspiration from holy texts. There are principles, e.g. love thy neighbor, that are pretty great and all. But there are also moral codes for century- or millenia-old societies that should not be considered applicable today.

 

There could be. There might not be right now, there might be. I am not very informed on Islam however.

My religion, heathenry, is based on the ancient norse culture. The norse, vikings, whatever you want to call them, would most likely kill a homosexual on sight. But, the gods have multiple instances of spontaneously changing gender, and in the case of Loki, even give birth. The Vanir were even okay with incest (not okay). So, most heathens are split on the issue. A strong part of heathenry is tribe, or kindred, i.e. family. Some heathens view a homosexual couple as the same as an infertile couple. The may not be able to birth children, but they can be parents. They can have a family. But there are some LGBT+ themes in the Edda.

My point is, if a culture very homophobic, although pretty much died out, can be reconstructed as a religion that has a neutral standpoint, is pretty amazing. Islam may become more flexible like Christianity has. Only time will tell.

*Side note on heathenry; there are "folkish" asatruar and heathens who are typically very racist, homophobic and transphobic. I speak on the half of the open minded, heathen individuals.