Inclusivity

At the WMI, we recognize one of the loneliest feelings is when you feel like you don’t belong. When you’re constantly scared of how people will react to your identity, your truth, your love. You wait with baited breath every time you open up to somebody because there’s a chance that they might turn away from you.

Every one of us is walking along our journeys with a story. Each story has moments of pain, of hope, of fear, of sadness. Every one of us has at one point or another felt like we don’t belong simply because of who we are. There are so many of us out there who wake up every day and wonder if today is the day we’ll be called out.

This post is not our guide on how we believe Muslims should treat the LGBTQ2S+ community from a religious jurisprudence perspective. Rather, the WMI understands and empathizes with the fact that everyone needs a place to belong. Everyone needs a place where they can rest their head and where they can feel welcome—regardless of their lifestyle choices, gender, religion, or sexuality.

The month of June is important to many people for many reasons, but notably for those living in the West, it is Pride Month. At a time when the LGBTQ2S+ community celebrates its successes, diversity, hope, and right of expression, we want to say we see you. We embrace the right for you to express yourself and to feel safe. We hear you and if you choose to join us, we’ll always welcome you.

There is already so much anger and hurt in the world. All of us can do a little better by extending love instead. WMI believes in experiences and stories. We believe that sometimes progress can be difficult, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not necessary. We hope that you will choose to join us on this journey.