Visibility

,UNDERSTAND THROUGH THEIR EYES

“I’m not out to my family in Poland, but I am out to my friends there. At this point I have no need to come out to my family. We never discuss sexuality anyway, regardless of whether a person is straight or queer.”

“In more conservative circles, mainly experienced through spending time with older people in my faith community and older, generally less progressive family members, I avoid discussion about LGBTI issues and about my LGBTI identity to avoid conflict, having experienced conflict in my younger years.”

“…Visibility is a big one. Even something on the wall that shows diversity in all its forms is welcome and valued would give me a sense of safety.”

“Visibility of QTIPOC resources, public statements made by leaders, messages that show a level of true understanding of intersectionality instead of a token gesture or a mention of ‘intersectionality’ for the sake of using a buzz word. Visibility at mainstream LGBTI events, visibility at cultural events.”

“In regards to my gender I feel no level of discrimination; the only points of friction appear when I voice myself as an intersex person. This can lead to ignorance about intersex people often conflated with being transgender or confused with sexual orientation. Intersex people can be seen as ultimately flawed “men” and “women”; our bodies are seen as the physical manifestation of the manipulation of sin upon human bodies. In regards to most faith communities I have been involved in, ignorance and thus misinformed theology about intersex bodies and variations is the common thread. But I believe intersex people have a place in Christian faith spaces and there are mountains of theological evidence to support this. Our bodies in a way reflect the diverse nature of God encompassing all peoples and all bodies. In regards to my confidence in expressing myself in my cultural community i.e my family. Well I come from a working class family to whom men are men and women are less than men (joking kinda) so due to such early erasure of my bodies ambiguity as it were, I am perceived as a woman so I fear no discrimination on that front. It was only when I started exploring my intersex variation and identity that these investigations caused tension in my family.”

“I have many LGBTIQ+ Muslim friends who would never risk accessing services for LGBTIQ+ Muslims because if they for example, utilise Arab community leaders, it’s more than likely that those community members will know their immediate family. Irreverent of how much you push the idea of confidentiality/anonymity, it’s a real and scary risk for LGBTIQ+ Muslims to be outed in their community.”