Hijab Butch Blues

Former Lambda Literary Fellow Lamya H presents a powerful debut memoir, interweaving essays about her coming of age as a queer Muslim with stories found in the Quran. Each essay highlights formative moments in the author’s life as she comes into her true self while navigating her faith, family of origin, and culture. Narrator Ashraf Shirazi sensitively brings together the author’s fears, hopes, joys, and hardships. Shirazi’s compelling narration channels the author’s strength and determination as she forged her own path while remaining true to the tenets of her faith. Lamya’s flair for storytelling is evident as she takes listeners through her journey, building a community of found family, and connecting with the journey of Muhammad and his earliest followers. Listeners might expect that Lamya would encounter the most resistance because she is queer, but living in the United States she finds that being Muslim is almost harder. This firsthand account of the barriers faced by Muslims in this country is eye-opening.