About three weeks into Pride Month, Indian Twitter was trending with the hashtag #WhySoProud, with posts targeting Muslims from the LGBTQI+ community by attempting to create a divide between being Muslim and queer; claiming one can’t be both; instigating fear and questioning the concept of Pride.

The hashtag, and the overwhelming response in support to it, disregards the lived experiences of marginalization faced by LGBTQI+ folks who are Muslim, and may be attacked from within and outside their communities.

Tech policy researcher Shehla Rashid was trolled with misogyny and slurs for condemning the hate when she tweeted: “I’m a Muslim, and I condemn the #WhySoProud hashtag. We must try to perfect our own Imaan, and leave judgement to Allah. We don’t have to play God, and judge others. No one should be victimized for their identity, choices and beliefs. I stand against homophobia and Islamophobia.”

But the queerphobia couldn’t dominate the hashtag for too long.

LGBTQI+ folks reverted with #WhySoHomophic, and used the #WhySoProud hashtag with photos of queer liberation, memes, citing LGBTQI+ history, and celebrating and loving one’s identity and identities as a Queer Muslim.

Film Director Faraz Arif Ansari shared a poster of their movie Sheer Qorma: “celebrating Queer Muslims across the world. We are valid. We are real. We matter. Stop using Islam to justify injustice & hate.”

Although the queerphobic hashtag was reclaimed, it doesn’t put an end to the hate against the community — Rashid pointed out that there’s a wave of recently created Twitter accounts perpetuating homophobic content on the platform.

For many, Pride is one of the symbols reflecting the process of overcoming shame, an internalization of the hatred that is taught.

Reclaiming yourself by living your truth takes strength when those around you are fearful. The Queer Muslim Project is countering queerphobia and Muslim hate by documenting stories by folks living in these intersections: https://www.instagram.com/thequeermuslimproject/?hl=en