Seminar Art!

After we read Madras on Rainy Days, which touched on homosexuality, we discussed BGLTQ rights within Islam. We watched a video of a cross-dressing man from Pakistan, which Professor Asani thought was inspiring and representative of an open culture, but other students mentioned how he is seen as sort of a joke within Pakistan. As we heard more of an explanation from Pakistani students about transgender rights, we understood that they are not nearly as accepting as in America, and even in America there is a lot of misunderstanding them and violence towards them. As awful as the situation seemed, Professor Asani explained that there is definitely room for transgender people within Islam based on the scripture itself. I hope that the culture catches up with what could be, and soon, so that these people don’t have to deal with the oppression they face now from their communities.

I made this piece out of clay, and it has the symbol for Islam inside the symbol for transgender rights, to show that they can definitely fit together. I made it out of clay because sometimes it seems like things are supposed to be the way they are molded forever, but you have to remember that someone chose to make it like that, and someone else can change it.