| This study investigated the experience of gay Arab Muslim men living in the United States. It addressed the processes that the gay Arab Muslim man goes through as he becomes aware of his sexuality. It also explicated the negotiation that the gay Arab Muslim man experiences as he reconciles his religion and culture with that of his authentic sexuality. A literature review was conducted that included an overview of several themes: sexual identity; masculinity and sexual role; religious, societal, and cultural influences; interpretation of the Qur'an; Islam and the culture of the United States; and gay Arab Muslims and the culture of the United States. This qualitative investigation included in-depth interviews of 12 gay Arab Muslim men living in the United States. Six textural themes and subthemes were revealed through phenomenological reduction: sexual awakening, coming-out, being gay, being Muslim, masculinity, and living in the United States. Time, space, causality, materiality, bodyhood, relationship to self, and relationship to others were described utilizing eidetic variation. Findings of this research support the existence of a negotiation between cultural, religious, and sexual identities while experiencing living in the United States as a transnational citizen. This study can be used to help social scientists comprehend the unique experience of these men. This study may also be helpful in understanding the experiences of other sexual minorities that have a transnational or fundamental religious background. |
