"I Never Stopped Being a Muslim": Navigating Faith and Same-Sex Practices in the Face of Mainstream Islam, Westernization and Norms of the Abnormal

In theory, all that are involved in same-sex practices in Islam based on thecommon and mainstream interpretation of the story of the people of Lut are treated the same. In reality, however, and in the Arab world today, the penetrated and penetrator are not equally abnormal and deviant. Although Western activism involved in gay rights in the Middle East and local communities in several countries who call themselves Mujtamaa Al Meem, the community of the letter Meem, which is a localization of the term LGBTQA+ community, are advocating for gay rights for all Middle Eastern/Arab/Muslim “gay men” whatever role they play in those practices. The local culture of those societies does not do the same, nor do they believe in their normality. By looking at different interpretations of religious scripture, role of Westernization in local “gayness” and “homosexuality”, and how a penetrator/society-forced womanhood status, this thesis will discuss their effect on how a Muslim man, who takes on a penetrated role in same-sex activities navigate faith and sexual practices, and how religiosity, my existence as a Muslim, and my gender identity and/or expression are not measured by how sinless/sinful I am or by which sin I commit.