Uniquely positioned? Lived experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual Asian muslims in Britain

Abstract

This paper highlights some of my reflections on the data drawn from an empirical research project entitled A Minority within a Minority: British Non- heterosexual Muslims, conducted in 2001 and 2002. Specifically, the project explored three dimensions of the lived experiences of non-heterosexual (specifically lesbian, gay, and bisexual; Hereinafter ‘LGB’ ) Muslims who are primarily of South Asian origin. These dimensions are (a) individual/cognitive (e.g. how they reconciled their sexuality with religious faith, given the pervasive censure of homosexuality); (b) interpersonal (e.g. how they managed social relationships with potentially stigmatising social audiences such as family members, kin, and their ethnic/religious community); and (c) intergroup (e.g. how they managed social relationships with potentially supportive social audiences such as the broader LGB community which is predominantly ‘white’ and secular). The 42 participants (20 women and 22 men) – recruited primarily through support groups, LGB Press and personal networks – were interviewed individually for about two hours. In addition, two focus group interviews were conducted. Most of the sample lived in Greater London, and the vast majority were under the age of 30, and highly educated (for more details about the research methodology and the sample, see Yip 2003). Owing to space I shall only highlight some prominent empirical and theoretical issues here, with references to more detailed discussions I have offered elsewhere.