Queer Muslims in Europe : Sexuality, Religion and Migration in Belgium

W. Peumans

Belgium was the second country in the world to introduce same-sex marriage. It has an elaborate legal system for protecting the rights of LGBT individuals in general and LGBT asylum seekers in particular. At the same time, since 2015 the country has become known as the "jihadi center of Europe" and criticized for its "homonationalism" where some queer subjects - such as ethnic, racial, and religious minorities, or those with a migrant background - are excluded from the dominant discourse on LGBT rights. Queer Muslims living in the country exist in this complex and contradictory context and their identities are often disregarded as implausible. This book foregrounds the lived experiences of queer Muslims who migrated to Belgium because of their sexuality and queer Muslims who are the children of economic migrants. Based on extensive fieldwork, Wim Peumans examines how queer Muslims negotiate silence and disclosure around their sexuality, maintain transcultural relationships, and understand their religious beliefs. The book reveals the interrelated issues involved in migration, sexuality, and religion and challenges the existing heteronormativity of migration studies.