In Box institutions. (Mormons are about as blind as Muslims in this regard.) With such heavy indoctrinations from such an early age, I don’t see religious tolerance coming any time soon.
—spectrewriter via positivelyaware.com
Another reader responds to spectrewriter’s comment:
Discovering ‘Hidden People’ Great article, Ms. Saltmarsh, and it helps push this very important issue out of the closet, so to speak, and into the streets. Having known the brothers in this article for several years now, I am very happy to see them take the steps to bring enlightenment to the MSM/HIV community and that being Muslim does not keep them from facing discrimination based on their sexual orientation and their status. Looking forward to working with these brothers in the near future. —Imam Daayiee Abdullah Masjid An-Nural Isslaah; Washington, DC
Ms. Saltmarsh, I thank you and Positively Aware for such a well written article that
gives another voice to the work we are doing. It is bittersweet to see that what we are doing is not only bringing awareness to health disparities, but also to the phobias and stigmas that are still prevalent within today’s society. Our hope is that this will help bring awareness to the need for providing quality health care services not only to MSM and Muslims, but to all who are in need. —Labelsnj33 via positivelyaware.com
Unfortunately, I see those who (claim to) practice Islam as being largely inflexible. Some of the leaders within Islamic communities are downright superstitious and backwards. For example, I’ve heard the Sodom and Gomorrah story being taught to youngsters as an example of a city that 8
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We’ve heard the same garbage from “Christians” like Fred Phelps and yet we all know Christians who are very accepting of LGBT people. Queer Muslims and our LGBT-friendly Muslim friends are opening a dialogue within our ummah that is admittedly about 40 years behind our Christian and Jewish brothers and sisters, but with their examples to learn from, we can catch up quickly. I’ve been happily surprised at how widely I’ve been accepted as a gay Muslim by straight Muslim friends. I realize that is a small pocket within a largely homophobic milieu, but there is discernable progress and enough historical precedent to show that prejudice will melt away on both sides. —Jackfertig
via positivelyaware.com was the lowest place on earth, because God considers homosexuality to be the Keeper of the faith lowest thing one can do. This is not only Thanks, Jeff, for continuing to sound the ridiculous in terms of logic, but entirely horn for all of us. inaccurate. By scriptural accounts, the —Greg Knepper city was destroyed because people were via positivelyaware.com inhospitable, uncaring, and because there weren’t any good people in it. (Obviously Smart food there were hetero people there, or the I wanted to compliment Positively city wouldn’t have survived for long.) Nevertheless, this is the trash that’s being taught. IN THE JANUARY+FEBRUARY ISSUE Since at least a couple of kids in each classroom will grow up to be gay, I find it incredibly cruel to promote such perspectives—and yet the Keeping Of compassion abuse continues, both the faith and HOPE The Hidden People within Islamic communities and in Christian
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