Hafsa Qureshi is a UK based queerjabi. An intersectional LGBTQ+ activist, writer and public speaker.
Huff-sah Coo-resh-ee
‘I speak on topics such as race, disability, queerness and marginalisation. People like me are your family, friends, your work colleagues. We’re an entire community, still being told that we don’t exist. I’m living proof that we do, and our voices should be heard.’
ABOUT
Hafsa Qureshi (any pronouns) is an openly bisexual and genderqueer Muslim from Birmingham (UK). They are a multi-award winning LGBTQ+ activist, writer and public speaker.
His work has been featured in: VICE, Sky News, Channel 4, Metro, BBC News, Pink News and more. They have worked with numerous public, private and third sector organisations across their career.
Hafsa currently works with LGBTQ+ charities within the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) sector.
Featured in the following publications:
It Ain't Over Til the Bisexual Speaks: An Anthology of Bisexual Voices
Bisexuality allows for so many ways to desire and to express that desire. This anthology is a radical and ambitious attempt to capture the incredible multiplicity of bisexual identities.
V: An empowering celebration of the vulva and vagina
The Vulva. For thousands of years, our vulvas and vaginas have been considered mysterious, taboo and shameful. Packed with fascinating contributions from leading activists and experts, V will help every reader discover their own BIG V ENERGY
Here and Queer: A Queer Girl's Guide to Life
Here and Queer is a book about living your best queer life, written for girls. A celebration of the gift of queerness, it's packed full of heartfelt advice, comforting stories and stylish illustrations, and will give you the tools you need to explore your own identity, on your own terms.
Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
(yes seriously, I have been asked these a lot)
What’s a queerjabi?
A queerjabi is a person that keeps hijab and is also queer. This cross-section seems to puzzle some people, but that’s the nature of life. We’re not all perfectly neat definitions.
Are you even a Muslim if you’re queer?
Yes.
Are you even bi?
Yes.
Are you even trans?
Yes.
Are you even queer?
Yes.
Aren’t you going to hell?
I don’t think that’s up to any of us to decide.
[Quotes scripture]
I do not exist to change your mind, and it’s a shame a Brummie queerjabi threatens your way of life this much.
You know they throw people like you off of buildings in [place]?
You must be fun at parties.
Do you feel glad that you’re not like other Muslims, given that they’re all [Islamophobic diatribe]?
I am like other Muslims, when you speak of ‘them’, you speak of me.
You’ve mentioned that you’re disabled. What’s wrong with you, exactly?
I tolerate fools more often than I should.
Why do you call yourself ‘Ms.’ if you’re genderqueer and trans? Why not ‘Mx.’?
I just don’t care that much about titles for myself! Some people do and that should always be respected. But people can address me in whatever format they wish, as long as they’re well meaning.
Why keep talking about being queer, why not keep it quiet?
Because I have nothing to be ashamed of. This is who I am.
I think that what you do is wrong and [blah blah blah]
That is not a question. Do you want to try again?
What’s the point of visibility, aren’t you just posting selfies everywhere?
That is only a small bit of the work I do, but yes, I am! But I am doing so because people like me don’t often get to see representations of our queerness around us. Everyone deserves to see themselves in media, at work, at school, in all walks of life. To know that they are not alone and that there are plenty of people out there that are just like them. I am privileged enough to be out in every aspect of my life. I want to use that privilege to represent anyone that can’t safely express who they are this openly.
But why even bother? I mean everything sucks all the time.
Because my community is full of brilliant people. I am a teeny tiny part of a huge network of individuals, organisations, grassroots work and collectives, working towards the same big goal. And if all this collective work keeps someone going, even for just one more day, it’s all worth it. Everyone deserves to be loved and accepted for who they are. And spaces like this, the big work of activism, is collaborative action towards such a goal. And I think that’s wonderful.
I am an ally or someone who is queer and Muslim myself. Where can I go for support?
Page incoming!
I have a project I want to talk to you about. But we’re pretty small, we don’t have a lot of funding and I don’t want to waste your time?
Please message me! I’m always open to chatting and potentially volunteering my time if I have capacity to do so. It is never a waste of my time to talk to my own community or allies.
Ok great, but if you had to choose between your queerness and your faith, which would you pick?
That’s the beauty of it, I don’t have to choose :)
Contact
If your query is regarding an event or other opportunities, please note that QTIPOC (Queer, Trans, and Intersex People of Colour) should be paid for their time.
If you are a charity, school or otherwise underfunded institution, please do reach out as a volunteer opportunity.
Additionally, research requests are not being accepted.
Email responses may get sent to your Spam folder, please check this within 5-7 days of your email being sent.