‘Did queer Muslims even exist?’ – racialised grids of intelligibility in Swedish LGBTQ contexts

Abstract

This article explores racialised grids of intelligibility around gender identity and sexuality in white Swedish LGBTQ contexts. By analysing personal stories shared on a separatist Instagram account by and for LGBTQ people racialised as non-white and/or Muslim, the article identifies some of the predominant narratives through which they become intelligible, both to other people and to themselves. Four frameworks are particularly recurring: the notion of them being victims of a 'hateful other', strong expectations to come out, exotification and tokenism (both sexualised and otherwise), and a general lack of representation. I argue that all of these revolve around notions of LGBTQ people racialised as non-white and/or Muslim as never quite belonging and thus never quite recognisable. They are instead frequently situated between white, gender-equal and LGBTQ-friendly 'Swedishness' and threatening, LGBTQ-phobic racialised 'others', made intelligible only in relation to either of these.

Challenges to identity integration amongst sexual minority British Muslim South Asian men

“…This racial stereotyping and subsequent lack of belonging is a common experience amongst POC sexual minorities (Jivraj et al, 2003; Jones, 2016; Kehl, 2020). This experienced lack of belonging may have been internalised and fostered an element of distancing.…”

“…Indeed, the movement to add black and brown stripes to the Pride flag in the UK, as a gesture of inclusivity, was met with some backlash (Baggs, 2019). Sexual minority POC may feel pressured to “come out” and “assimilate” into the “scene”, which may not be appropriate or viable options for them (Jivraj, Tauqir, & de Jong, 2003; Kehl, 2020). Moreover, sexual minority POC may struggle with reconciling social representations of LGBTQ+ culture with views from within their religious, ethnic, and cultural communities.…”

Inclusiones desiguales en Latinoamérica y Europa: homofobia y racismo bajo el prisma del homonacionalismo

“…Entre las distintas aproximaciones se destacan discursos y prácticas que imposibilitan identidades homosexuales musulmanas, por una incompatibilidad entre ser gay/lesbiana y musulmán (Kehl, 2019;Cherry, 2018;Ammaturo, 2016;Mepschen, 2016;Jivraj y Jong, 2011); que identifican en la población musulmana e inmigrada potenciales homófobos (Rexhepi, 2016;Jivraj y Jong, 2011); vinculan la "Guerra contra el Terror" a la promoción de derechos de minorías sexuales (Bracke, 2012); asocian la tolerancia con gais y lesbianas a algo propio de occidente y las sociedades avanzadas (Ammaturo, 2015;Nebeling y Myong, 2015;Kulpa, 2014); y una extrema derecha que reivindica la defensa de gais y lesbianas contra la inmigración (Dhoest, 2019;Kehl, 2018;Hatfield, 2018;Hubbard y Wilkinson, 2015). La relación con el término homonormatividad de Lisa Duggan (2003) es evidente: en Twilight of Equality, Duggan describe algunos procesos de inclusión y exclusión donde se oponen aliados potenciales, como parte del proyecto cultural del neoliberalismo, que en última instancia crean y consagran desigualdades.…”

“…La amplia producción científica que se desarrolla en Europa constata que es un centro de discursos homonacionalistas (Kehl, 2019;Fernández García, 2018;Ammaturo, 2015Ammaturo, , 2016Rexhepi, 2016;Hubbard y Wilkinson, 2015;Santos, 2013;Jivraj y Jong, 2011). En la discusión sobre homonacionalismo, los Países Bajos se han considerado vanguardia de derechos para gais y lesbianas, pero también la cuna de la cooptación del discurso de la diversidad sexual y de género por el Estado y la extrema derecha (Bracke, 2012;Jivraj y Jong, 2011;Mepschen, 2016;Puar, 2007;Yildiz, 2017).…”

LGBT Rights:

“…The thesis combines four published articles (Kehl 2018;2020a;2020b;Strand & Kehl 2019) with a five-chapter kappa that adriotly draws together the articles' insights and guides the reader through the project's evolution and conceptual framework. The result is a highly coherent thesis that is considerably greater than the sum of its parts in its analysis of Swedishness through the lenses of othering and boundary-making, racialisations, LGBT subjectivities and intelligibility.…”