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in
Washington D.C in 2011, called Masjid Nur Al-Isslaah (English: "Mosque for Enlightenment and Reformation" or "Light of Reform Mosque"), of which he is the imam and religious director. The mosque was initially hosted by a public library in D.C., with a plan to raise funds to create a purpose-built
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denominations. None of these religions he had explored fit him exactly, so he continued to search for a religion he could put his faith into. He converted to Islam at age 30. When
Abdullah was 15, he graduated from high school early because he had gone to summer school most summers. Along with
341:. Because the Abrahamic faiths are sister religions, and because the Qu'ran says that Abrahamic believers can interact with other Abrahamic believers, Abdullah believes that it is plausible to marry between Abrahamic religions. In 2015, Abdullah reported having officiated 65 marriages.
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to his parents, and was accepted after assuring his parents that they had "done nothing wrong." Abdullah has said that he knew he was attracted to other boys at the age of five. His parents, now both deceased, were a source of inspiration and confidence for him growing up.
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for several years. From 2011 to 2012, he served as part of the Queer Muslim
Working Group, which evolved into the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity in 2013. Abdullah also has served on the planning team for the LGBT Muslim Retreat since 2011.
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He began being called Imam after performing ceremonies for people who were considered pariahs in their community due to illnesses or the gender or religion of the person they wished to marry. For example, Abdullah has performed
310:. On this forum, there were many who were gay, but were intent on telling those who were seeking help that the Qur'an forbids homosexuality. Abdullah refuted these comments by explaining that one is to follow the
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He was the business manager at
Georgetown Fitness Center from 2007 to 2009. Abdullah, under his legal name Sidney Thompson, is the CEO of Asiad & Associates, a software company in Washington, D.C.
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In 2006, Abdullah was in a long-term relationship of ten years. His partner was
Christian, which is one of the reasons he performs religious ceremonies between Abrahamic religions.
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so that he could see what the world was truly like. His parents believed that once a member of the family had graduated high school, he was an adult. Knowing this, Abdullah
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Mosque, the first mosque he had visited. Following that experience, at age 30, he became a Muslim and adopted the
Islamic name Daayiee Abdullah. He didn't add on the title
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153:. His parents supported him, his six older brothers, his younger sister, and his oldest step-sister from his father's first marriage to find religion despite his parents'
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Since 2000, Abdullah has provided specialized counseling services for
Muslims from a wide spectrum of Muslim religious and cultural backgrounds.
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for men and women and counseling for all couples—heterosexual and homosexual. He has also married religiously differing couples who are from the
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In the 1980s, Abdullah began his tenure at
Georgetown University and spent several years at Beijing University and Taiwan National University
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until it closed in 2011. As a Muslim leader, Abdullah's homosexuality has caused controversy due to the traditionally upheld beliefs about
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In 2015, Abdullah founded the Mecca
Institute, a self-described "inclusive and progressive online Islamic seminary," in Washington D.C.
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Abdullah was
Director of LGBT Outreach at Muslims for Progressive Values from 2010 until 2014 and remains on the advisory board of
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As of 2015, Abdullah was declared single, claiming that the pressure on his closeted partner was too much for the relationship.
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Imam Daayiee Abdullah offers a gay Muslim's insights for the holidays by Will O'Bryan, Metro Weekly magazine, December 21, 2006
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557:"A Man for All Seasons: Imam Daayiee Abdullah offers a gay Muslim's insights for the holidays: Feature Story section"
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260:'s office in San Francisco. In 1979, he returned to D.C. as a coordinator for the National March on Washington for
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second. Through this, he began to gain popularity among homosexuals and allies across the online community.
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until later. Abdullah would go on to study Islam in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
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Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
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1026:"Openly gay Muslim leader shares life story, hopes to change perceptions of identity"
626:"Gay Muslim Imam Brings Message of Tolerance to Europe - DER SPIEGEL - International"
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from 2000 to 2003, but was expelled when the school discovered he was gay.
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929:"Affirming mosques help gay Muslims reconcile faith, sexuality"
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507:"Washington Imam marries gay Muslim couples despite backlash"
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Imam Daayiee Abdullah welcomes gay Muslims to worship, marry
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Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences alumni
125:). Abdullah was a member of and spiritual advisor of the
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of Toronto's el-Tawhid Juma Circle/The Unity Mosque, and
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Abdullah was a board member of the round table of the
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for a conference because he was working for Governor
481:. UDC David A. Clarke School of Law. Archived from
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1085:"Gay Muslims Find Freedom, of a Sort, in the U.S."
858:"Gay Muslims Find Freedom, of a Sort, in the U.S."
170:summer school, he and his family travelled around
1106:by Matthew Breen, Out Magazine, December 23, 2013
1098:by Emily Wax, The Washington Post, April 17, 2013
875:"Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity"
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248:LGBT in Islam § LGBT movements within Islam
141:Abdullah was born in 1954 as Sidney Thompson in
1051:"6 Questions With A Gay Imam, Daayiee Abdullah"
955:. Daayieesplaceofinnerpeace.com. Archived from
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157:beliefs. When he was 8 years old, he visited a
599:"Life as a Gay Imam Isn't as Bad as It Sounds"
532:"Daayiee Abdullah: Being out and being Muslim"
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833:"Meet Daayiee Abdullah, America's gay imam"
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196:Graduate School of Islamic Social Sciences
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1218:Converts to Sunni Islam from Christianity
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1118:Light of Reform Mosque, Washington, D.C.
578:"Gay Muslims Struggle To Find Inclusion"
186:studying Chinese and graduated from the
1104:Could This Be America’s First Out Imam?
902:. Lgbtmuslimretreat.com. Archived from
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979:"Meet America's first openly gay imam"
856:Macfarquhar, Neil (November 7, 2007).
682:"Daayiee Abdullah: Imam of perversion"
62:University of the District of Columbia
1083:Macfarquhar, Neil (7 November 2007).
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448:"Meet America's first gay black imam"
105:Imams in the world (the others being
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1223:David A. Clarke School of Law alumni
1158:21st-century African-American people
1148:20th-century African-American people
1007:"Library Serves as Reformist Mosque"
877:. Muslimalliance.org. Archived from
182:Abdullah was a Community Scholar at
559:. Metro Weekly magazine. 2006-12-21
326:for gay Muslims who have died from
101:Abdullah is said to be one of five
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1049:Kuruvilla, Carol (10 April 2015).
831:Fitzpatrick, Meagan (2015-06-15).
450:. The Voice Online. Archived from
302:Around 2000, he joined the online
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1163:21st-century American LGBT people
477:Max Rodriguez (October 4, 2011).
355:at Skeiv Verden ("Gay World").
190:in Washington, D.C. in 1995 as a
927:Toesland, Finbarr (2019-04-01).
787:LGBTQ Religious Archives Network
667:"Daayiee's Place of Inner Peace"
624:Würger, Takis (13 August 2014).
509:. Al Arabiya News. 18 April 2013
409:African American Muslim converts
214:
1248:Religious leaders from Michigan
783:"Imam Daayiee Abdullah Profile"
351:. He also holds a position in
1208:American LGBT rights activists
1193:African-American Sunni Muslims
1188:African-American Muslim clergy
349:Muslims for Progressive Values
1:
1024:Maloney, Susan (2017-02-10).
446:Lucas, Juliana (2013-12-24).
188:David A. Clarke School of Law
1183:African-American LGBT people
808:"Daayiee Abdullah • Profile"
131:male homosexuality in Islam
36:1954 (age 69–70)
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1178:African-American activists
977:Khan, Azmat (2013-12-20).
424:Al-Fatiha Foundation Fatwa
330:-related complications.
252:In 1978, Abdullah went to
245:
1243:LGBT people from Michigan
1213:American Muslim activists
580:. PrideSource. 2013-01-17
414:Islam in Washington, D.C.
223:This article needs to be
665:Abdullah, Imam Daayiee.
137:Early life and education
765:"A Man for All Seasons"
333:Abdullah also performs
283:, who invited him to a
165:, and an assortment of
1173:Activists from Detroit
1011:Wisconsin Public Radio
953:"MPV-WASHINGTON, DC 2"
530:Pennington, Rosemary.
380:mosque of their own.
277:Middle Eastern Studies
262:Lesbian and Gay Rights
57:University of Michigan
1076:A Man for All Seasons
983:america.aljazeera.com
367:Masjid Nur Al-Isslaah
184:Georgetown University
111:Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed
52:Georgetown University
371:Abdullah created an
360:Al-Fatiha Foundation
127:Al-Fatiha Foundation
16:Gay Muslim activist
1168:21st-century imams
1153:20th-century imams
1088:The New York Times
605:. 14 February 2014
335:same-sex marriages
273:Beijing University
194:. He attended the
1030:The Badger Herald
298:Pro-LGBT activism
244:
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200:Ashburn, Virginia
109:of South Africa,
93:) is an American
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40:Detroit, Michigan
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1198:American gay men
1123:LinkedIn Profile
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155:Southern Baptist
151:African American
107:Muhsin Hendricks
99:Washington, D.C.
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23:Daayiee Abdullah
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87:داعي عبد الله
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957:the original
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879:the original
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769:Metro Weekly
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686:the original
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603:www.vice.com
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582:. Retrieved
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536:the original
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483:the original
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192:juris doctor
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163:Hindu temple
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1253:Sunni imams
1228:Gay Muslims
1138:1954 births
1060:27 November
792:12 November
630:Der Spiegel
258:Jerry Brown
119:Nur Warsame
113:of France,
1238:LGBT imams
1132:Categories
1035:2024-01-20
988:2024-01-20
963:2014-03-06
938:2024-01-20
910:2014-03-06
900:"About Us"
885:2014-03-06
842:2024-01-20
814:2014-03-06
810:. LGBT-RAN
692:2011-03-23
584:2014-03-06
563:2014-03-06
542:2011-03-23
513:2014-03-06
489:2014-03-06
458:2014-03-06
430:References
375:-friendly
246:See also:
235:March 2014
103:openly gay
69:Occupation
167:Christian
159:synagogue
123:Australia
97:based in
48:Education
933:NBC News
403:See also
206:Activism
176:came out
149:. He is
147:Michigan
1005:Colin.
635:Dec 21,
609:Dec 21,
324:Janazah
316:Haddith
285:Beijing
225:updated
143:Detroit
89:, born
377:masjid
312:Qur'an
306:group
304:Yahoo!
281:Ürümqi
83:Arabic
54:(BSLA)
42:, U.S.
1062:2015
794:2022
637:2020
611:2020
373:LGBT
328:AIDS
289:Imam
161:, a
95:Imam
72:Imam
64:(JD)
59:(MA)
29:Born
837:CBC
198:in
121:of
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