Islam and Homosexuality

While homosexuality has gained greater social acceptance in many Western societies, it remains highly stigmatized and, in most cases, forbidden in mainstream Islam. Theologically-based homophobia has given rise to negative social representations of homosexuality in Muslim communities around the world. Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) Muslims themselves are acutely aware of the stigma of homosexuality, and the prejudice and, in some cases, harsh punishment that they may face if they disclose their sexual identity. This can in turn induce threats to identity and compromise psychological wellbeing. This entry pieces together emerging empirical evidence on the interface of homosexuality and Islam, focusing upon the theological (meso), social (macro) and psychological (micro) levels of analysis.