Being a Muslim gay man: A systematic review.

• Author: Tamilchelvan, Sivashangeran

Abstract. This article presents a systematic discussion on how Muslim gay men protect their image and identity in an Islamic ambience, which can be threatened as a result of self-identifying and coming out as gay. The overarching question of this systematic review is, 'What has research told us about Muslim gay men?" For the literature synthesis, out of 57 articles that touch on the issues associated with Muslim gay men, 30 of them met the inclusion criteria and were coded. After scrutinizing the articles, the following themes emerged: (i) factors affecting the identity development of Muslim gay men; (ii) societal expectations on Muslim gay men; and (iii) implications of developing the identity of a Muslim gay man. Based on the data obtained, it can be concluded that undermined Muslim character can prompt hyper-connection within fellow religious comrades. The possible directions for future research are discussed towards the end of this paper.

Keywords: Muslim gay man, LGBT, identity, social experience, homosexuality, Islam

1. Introduction

   Homosexuality is generally defined as being attracted to individuals of the same sex. It also refers to an individual's sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and enrollment in a group of other people who share the same platform. Homosexuality is being perceived as being against the law of nature in many religions including Islam. Individual who are gay or homosexual are described as sinners who do not deserve a chance to carry out their daily routine as 'gay' in public (Zulkffli and Rashid, 2016). Over the years accepting individuals for who they are is more vital and indispensable. Despite the hatred and disapproval of the society, many families choose to accept their kids rather than causing much confusion and unpleasantness. The act of an individual to uphold his identity as a gay or homosexual is driven by many factors, such as self-acceptance, culture, social expectations and rule of law.

   In Islam, being gay is viewed as deviant, corrupt, and rebelling against God, which takes off no plausibility for recognizing gay as Muslim (Jamal 2001; Siraj 2009). There have been many attempts in interpreting the Qur'an (which could be comprehensive of homosexuality) by more contemporary researchers (Jamal 2001, Kugle 2003); despite that, the majority of Islamic community does not support this understanding. We can thus claim that Islam is hostile to gay mentalities. Investigations on gay dispositions in Islamic context are minimal in the literature. The few that exist believe that anti-gay attitudes are predominantly negative (Duyan and Duyan 2005, Guney et al. 2004). Explicit anti-gay attitudes have been anticipated by gender, relational contact, and religious convictions (Duyan and Duyan 2005, Gelbal and Duyan 2006, Sakalli 2002, 2003).

   This systematic review on Muslim gay men synthesizes research on gay Muslim men and their lifestyle. The prevalent question that is being identified alongside with the three sub-questions is "What has research told us about Muslim gay men?" The sub-questions are:

1. What are the factors affecting the identity development of Muslim gay men?

2. What societal expectations do Muslim gay men need to face?

3. What are the implications of developing the identity of a Muslim gay man?

2. Conceptualizing Muslim gay men

   The concept of 'Muslim gay men' is derived from the Identity Process Theory, which assimilates the identity conflict which is presumed to be a part of gay Muslim men's coming out experiences (Breakwell 1986). With regard to that, Jaspal (2014) opines that avoiding cognitive dissonance and achieving psychological coherence is an impelling cause in identity development. Psychological coherence is concerned with establishing compatibility between identities that individuals have an attachment to, especially highlighting the principles of self-esteem and social and cultural worth. When identity is threatened through the obstruction of these principles, the individual will strategize to minimize that particular threat (Breakwell 1986). Breakwell (1986) was among the first to identify the concept of Identity Process Theory so as to constitute the development of identity among Muslim gay men.

   This theory basically conceptualizes identity as dynamic, and a product of interaction or communication between individuals and social context (Breakwell 1993). The structure of identity is divided into two planes, namely the content dimension which highlights the individual's characteristics, and the value of dimension, which is the positive or negative value emerged and attached to each element of the content (Breakwell 1986). This Identity Process Theory initially proposed four guiding principles in accordance with identity construction and management. Those principles are continuity, distinctiveness from others, feeling control and in control, and feelings of personal or social worth (Breakwell 1986), two principles by theorists were added to the last part; belonging and meaning (Vignoles et al* 2006)* In relation to this, Breakwell (1986) suggests that negatively-valued identity content may impose 'self-hatred' and portrays a forceful attack on one's self-esteem, which is the key principle of identity development (Jaspal and Siraj 2010)*

   In the modern era, identity development has inflicted massive impacts on Muslim gay men across the world, as they are keen to come out of the closet (Bereket and Adam 2006, 2008, Minwalla et al* 2005)* Jaspal (2010) states that with regard to the Identity Process Theory proposed by Breakwell (1986) and extended by Vignoles et al*, (2006), the dimension of this theory is based on the principle of assimilation-accommodation which absorbs the new information generated in the identity structure by which evaluation process is carried out to study the content of identity structure as well as the threats of identity that incurs*

   The principles in Identity Development Theory (Breakwell 1986, Vignoles 2006) are summarized below:

   * Continuity is associated with the context of time and situation by which an individual is bound to cope with their identity over time. The characteristics of this principle include understanding, an ability to maintain progression and compliments.

   * Distinctiveness from others reflects the uniqueness of one's personality and attitude from the other parties. This means the uniqueness and difference in a person's act will constitute attraction and contribute towards identity development among a specific circle of people.

   * Feeling control and in control refers to the feeling of confidence and the ability to control their life besides maintaining self-esteem. So, through this, one will have the confidence to merge with the community and tend to develop their identity publicly.

   * Feelings of personal and social worth refers to the social context by which one is likely to associate themselves within the community and feel the acceptance by the society in relation to their identity. Besides that, social worth is crucial as it creates a path for an individual to portray their identity with confidence.

   * Belonging refers to the need of maintaining feelings of closeness and the acceptance of people without prejudice. The aim of this principle is to instill a sense of belonging among people so that they will be able to participate and mingle freely.

   * Meaning refers to the need and importance of finding the significance and purpose of one's life. This is because through meaning, one will be able to verify the motive of their life goals and develop their...