Roundtable and Gathering: Searching for Muslims in the Queer Archive

Building on their contributions to a growing archive of queer Muslim life, LLMA, Acacia, and Pinko Magazine co-present a panel exploring the creation of accessible, living archives made by and for queer Muslims. Moderated by Naib Mian and Israh Afridi, the panel brings together Eman Abdelhadi, Dr. Darien A. Williams, Hussein Omar, and Nour Annan to discuss their unique contributions to this work, spanning the fields of journalism, academia, literature, community organizing, and visual art. 

Stay after the panel for a musical performance from writer, performer, and social justice advocate H. Sinno. Guests will also have the opportunity to explore the published works of Khajistan Press, Bilna’es, Acacia, and Pinko.

Tickets are offered on a sliding scale of $5–$30, with all proceeds going directly to Acacia and Pinko Magazine. No one will be turned away for lack of funds– if the ticket cost is a barrier and you would like to attend, please contact samira@acaciamag.com.

To support Pinko in publishing their fifth issue, guests are invited to donate here.

About the Speakers

Eman Abdelhadi is a scholar, organizer, and writer based in Chicago. She is an Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago. She co-wrote the revolutionary sci-fi novel Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052–2072 (Common Notions Press, 2022). Abdelhadi co-edited a volume entitled Muslim Engagement with Gender and Sexuality, forthcoming with Brill, and she co-edited the “Queer Palestine” issue of Pinko magazine published in 2024. 

Dr. Darien Alexander Williams is an assistant professor in the Macro Practice Department at Boston University School of Social Work whose research sits at the intersection of environmental and climate justice, urban planning history, and community organizing. He writes on abolitionist archives of care and survival in Boston, including organizing by Mothers for Adequate Welfare (MAW) and the Prostitutes Union of Massachusetts (PUMA). He is also an organizer with Queer Muslims of Boston/QMOSQUE and editor at Acacia Magazine.

Hussein Omar is writing a five hundred year history of Cairo through the story of his family and their cemeteries. He’s also working on a political history of Sufism and a queer history of the Arab world. 

Nour Annan is a writer, photographer, and organizer based between New York and Lebanon.

Pinko is a volunteer-based collective for thinking gay communism together. We publish print magazines, online articles, archival material, translation, art, zines, books, host conversations and panels, and provide an occasion for thinking that otherwise wouldn't exist. 

Acacia is a non-profit, print publication that brings together writers, thinkers, and artists of the Muslim left to discuss the political issues of our time. Our mission is to cultivate and advance a progressive vision of public life by offering in-depth, original reporting, incisive political and cultural commentary, and compelling visual art.

Accessibility
Chairs with backs will be available. Located at 26 Wooster Street, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art strives to provide a welcoming environment to all visitors. Five external steps lead to our entrance doors: a wheelchair lift is available. All galleries are wheelchair-accessible, and a single-occupancy accessible restroom is located behind the visitor services desk: all restrooms are gender-neutral. Large print didactics are available.

For questions or access requests, please email info@leslielohman.org with 1 week advance of your visit.

Image Credit
Seray Ak, Against, 2011, 5mm forex print, 16 x 24 in, gift of the artist, permanent collection of Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, 2015.21.1