Hidayah's Queer Book Club is back - in-person!
We are proud to present our second book club of the year: Homosexual Intifada – A Queer Palestinian Anthology, a groundbreaking collection of writing, art and testimony from queer Palestinians and their diasporic communities. This anthology brings forward voices that are too often marginalised, offering intimate, political and deeply moving reflections on identity, resistance and liberation.
Join Hidayah for an evening of readings, conversation and community connection. Contributors will share selected pieces from the anthology, followed by a discussion exploring queerness, culture, struggle and joy. This event offers a welcoming space to engage thoughtfully and compassionately with the themes at the heart of the book.
About Homosexual Intifada – A Queer Palestinian Anthology
Homosexual Intifada is a powerful and groundbreaking anthology spotlighting the voices of queer Palestinian writers from both the diaspora and homeland. This first-of-its-kind collection features a dynamic range of LGBTQ+ Palestinian perspectives through deeply personal essays, short stories, poetry, comics, photo essays, and memoir.
Centering queer Palestinian identity and experience, this essential volume explores themes of displacement, assimilation, belonging, and love across geographies—from Jerusalem and Ramallah to New York, Beirut, and beyond. These stories, often silenced or misrepresented in Western media, challenge false narratives, boldly reclaim agency, and dismantle stereotypes.
Contributors include celebrated and emerging queer Palestinian authors such as Noor Hindi, Mejdulene Bernard Shomali, Elias Jahshan, Randa Jarrar, and more.
More than just a literary work, Homosexual Intifada is a radical act of visibility. It challenges the pinkwashing of queer identities in service of imperial agendas and affirms the existence, resilience, and diversity of LGBTQ+ Palestinians worldwide. This collection is a vital contribution to queer literature, Arab identity, and decolonial thought.
About Hidayah:
Hidayah’s mission is to provide support and welfare for LGBTQI+ Muslims. We promote social justice and education about our community. We are a secular organisation, but our 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.
We are keen to ensure our services are as inclusive as possible. So if you are an LGBTQI Muslim wanting to attend and the cost is a barrier to you, please email our Events Team at events@hidayahlgbt.co.uk and we can arrange to waive your ticket cost, bi'idhnillah.
Please note that Hidayah's first priority is always to safeguard the wellbeing of volunteers and service users. 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
Do I need to be a Hidayah member to attend the event?
Yes, anyone attending a Hidayah event needs to be a member. 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 the Yoti app. All the details on how to sign up are on our website. However, if you have concerns about accessibility or are struggling to use Yoti, please get in touch with our membership team (membership@hidayahlgbt.co.uk).
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 also 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.
Where is the event happening? I can't see an address.
We will send the address to everyone who has signed up a couple days before the event. The reason for this is to safeguard our service users. Please do not share the address with anyone not attending the event.
I don't want any pictures posted online of me from the event. Can I opt out?
Yes, of course! We are keen to ensure this is a safe space for you. Please let our Events team know that you would prefer to not have your picture taken and we can provide you with a sticker so we know not to photograph you.
I'm not an LGBTQ Muslim but I am an ally. Can I still attend?
We warmly welcome partners, friends and family members of queer Muslims to our events as we believe your support and solidarity is invaluable. However, we do ask for more in the ticket price to reflect the community we serve, which is why our tickets are tiered.
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.
I am a queer Muslim on benefits/unemployed/in financial difficulty. Would you be able to cover my ticket?
For sure! We know that times are tough for people and we don't want those from our community to miss out because of financial issues, so if you are in that position, please email our Events Team at events@hidayahlgbt.co.uk. Please specify: 1) Your name 2) Membership number (signing up for membership is free) 3) Accessibility requirements.