20 Aug

19:00

Julianapark

3553HK, Utrecht

Come discuss books and make new friends at this queer book club meeting in the park. This month's book is 'Hijab Butch Blues' by Lamya H.

Queer Book Club: Hijab Butch Blues

More info & tickets

Come discuss books and make new friends 🌈✨

How the meeting works

We will find a suitable spot in the park to have our discussion. Bring a blanket or jacket to sit on and your favorite drinks/snacks! Once we are settled we will go in a circle introducing ourselves, followed by a loosely organized chat about the book.

This Month's Book: Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H.

When fourteen-year-old Lamya H realizes she has a crush on her teacher—her female teacher—she covers up her attraction, an attraction she can’t yet name, by playing up her roles as overachiever and class clown. Born in South Asia, she moved to the Middle East at a young age and has spent years feeling out of place, like her own desires and dreams don’t matter, and it’s easier to hide in plain sight. To disappear. But one day in Quran class, she reads a passage about Maryam that changes everything: When Maryam learned that she was pregnant, she insisted no man had touched her. Could Maryam, uninterested in men, be . . . like Lamya?

From that moment on, Lamya makes sense of her struggles and triumphs by comparing her experiences with some of the most famous stories in the Quran. She juxtaposes her coming out with Musa liberating his people from the pharoah; asks if Allah, who is neither male nor female, might instead be nonbinary; and, drawing on the faith and hope Nuh needed to construct his ark, begins to build a life of her own—ultimately finding that the answer to her lifelong quest for community and belonging lies in owning her identity as a queer, devout Muslim immigrant.

Everyone is welcome who has read the book (or DNF, and is okay with spoilers) by the time of the meetup. The book club is hosted in English.

Hope to see you there! 🏳️‍🌈📚