Article: Faisal Alam connects GLBT and Muslim communities

From Rocky Mountain Student Media - Colorado State University

By Hannah Tran | RMSMC

Updated: 10/20/11 5:22pm

Faisal Alam, the founder of the longest running Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender and Muslim support group in today’s society, came to CSU this week to enlighten students about the presence of GLBT and Muslim individuals.

Alam described the confusion and angst he experienced during his past. Alam came to the United States at age ten and began coping with conflicting identities.

On one hand, he had to assimilate into American culture while hanging on to his Muslim roots. On the other, he had to veil his sexual identity due to the fear of blemishing his religious identification.

“Islam condemned homosexuality, there isn’t an if, and, or but,” Alam said during his keynote speech at the East Ballrooms in the LSC.

Alam also described the revolutionary change that is shaping today’s contemporary Muslim religion. He stated that there was more fluidity in the past with sexual relations within the religion, and it has only been until recently that there has been a sharp distinction between homosexuality and heterosexuality.

“I thought I was the only gay Muslim while I was growing up,” he said.

Despite this, Alam says that democracy as well as the youth is subsiding the silence of GLBT Muslims across the world. Alam served as the president of GLBT Muslim group Al-Fatiha until stepping down in 2004.

However, he is continuing his movement as a member of the National Religious Leadership Roundtable and theGLBT Program of Human Rights Watch.

During his visit at the LSC, Alam asked CSU students to name several negative stereotypes associated with each group, concluding that both share similar hardships. He hopes that those who are treated as insubordinates unite together and put their visions into action.

“I learned to take the knowledge that I have learned and implement it,” said Moonier Said, a Muslim student here at CSU.

Alam enjoyed his first visit here at CSU and is currently visiting Boulder as well as Denver.