Hidayah’s Queer Book Club is back!
We’re reading Zaina Arafat’s novel, You Exist Too Much, praised in The Oprah Magazine as a “provocative and seductive debut”.
This book flits between New York and the Middle East – Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine – following a queer Palestinian-American protagonist as she navigates through relationships and traumas while searching for home.
We have partnered with an LGBTQI+ founded and run bookstore – The Bookish Type, who have kindly provided a 20% discount for any Hidayah Book Club members who wish to purchase each of our titles, via their online and retail stores. Details will be provided with the order confirmation to each Hidayah Book Club event.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please email Sayema at sayema@hidayahlgbt.co.uk.
See you there!
About Hidayah:
Hidayah’s mission is to provide support and welfare for LGBTQIA+ Muslims. We promote social justice and education about our community. In the process, we counter discrimination, prejudice and injustice. Hidayah is a secular organisation, but its projects and activities are developed specifically for the needs of LGBTQI+ Muslims. Our vision is to ensure our voices are heard and understood.
We are a mix of practising and non-practising Muslims. However, we warmly welcome friends, families and allies to our events.
Please note that Hidayah's first priority is always to safeguard the wellbeing of volunteers, board members and those using our services. With this in mind, Hidayah reserves the right to refuse or refund tickets at its discretion. Any decision to do so is not made lightly and will only ever be on the basis of safeguarding.
Frequently Asked Questions
The signup form asks for a membership number. Do I need to be a Hidayah member to attend the event?
Yes, our new policy asks that anyone wanting to attend a Hidayah event - in person or remotely - first signs up for membership. This is to protect safeguarding and ensure that everyone in attendance is who they say they are. The main way to do this is through an app called Yoti, and you can find all the details on how to sign up on our website. However, if you have concerns about accessibility or the use of ID for verification, please get in touch with our membership team (membership@hidayahlgbt.co.uk) and we can discuss alternatives with you, insha Allah.
Will it cost me anything to become a Hidayah member?
For the purpose of attending an event, no. You can attend an event by signing up for As-Shams, our free tier for queer Muslims, and al-Halif, our free tier for allies. You are, of course, welcome to sign up for our paid tiers, which will give you access to other membership perks. Find out more by going to https://hidayahlgbt.com/membership.
What platform will this event be held on?
We will send you the Google Meet link a couple hours before the event. The reason for this is to safeguard our service users. Please do not share this link to anyone.
I'd love to attend the Book Club but am not “out”/don't feel comfortable with my camera on. Is it okay to attend with my camera off?
Yes, of course! We are keen to ensure this is a safe space for you. Lots of our attendees keep their cameras off (including our hosts at times!), or they participate more through the chat than by speaking. Whatever feels safe and comfortable with you is good with us.
I'm not an LGBTQ Muslim but I am an ally. Can I still attend?
We warmly welcome allies to our events as we believe your support and solidarity is invaluable. Feel free to come along.
I'm not sure about my gender identity/sexuality, or I'm not a very practising Muslim. Can I attend?
We don't gatekeep when it comes to being queer or being Muslim. We know there is no one way of being either. Whatever level you practise Islam and are LGBTQ is fine with us; if you identify as such, that's enough for us.