Community Events
Queer Muslim Network is proud to have hosted community events since 2021, including Ramadan Iftaars, Eid Celebrations, picnics, panels, and more.
These events are possible due to generous community donations and grants from @gendereveal, @act.toronto, @mcctoronto, @risingyouthtig, @frontlines.to, @uoftsgdo, Unity Mosque, @apaaprevention, and more!
Our event photographers are Zainab Ashraf and Anushay Sheikh.
Metropolitan Community Church •
Unity Mosque •
Tarragon Theatre •
Queers For Palestine •
Africans in Partnership Against Aids (APAA) •
Queer Shia Collective •
Inside Out •
Gender Reveal Podcast •
AIDS Committee of Toronto •
Madras Kaapi •
Queer Halal Time •
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) •
Films With A Cause •
Rising Youth •
Metropolitan Community Church • Unity Mosque • Tarragon Theatre • Queers For Palestine • Africans in Partnership Against Aids (APAA) • Queer Shia Collective • Inside Out • Gender Reveal Podcast • AIDS Committee of Toronto • Madras Kaapi • Queer Halal Time • Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) • Films With A Cause • Rising Youth •
Eid Celebration (2024)
On April 14th, 2024, QMN hosted our annual Eid celebration in collaboration with the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto! With over 180+ registered attendees, this was our biggest QMN celebration yet. From heartfelt conversations to shared laughter, the energy of unity and joy was palpable throughout the event!
At QMN, we stand as a family, and gatherings like these are essential in strengthening our bonds and solidifying our trust and reliance on each other. We are reminded of the power of community and the beauty of coming together to celebrate our shared identities and experiences.
📸 @zainabashr #QMNEid2024 🌈🕌
Ramadan (2024)
During Ramadan 2024, QMN hosted four free Iftaars across Toronto and Ottawa for hundreds of community members to break their fast and pray in an inclusive environment. As Queer Muslims, communal gatherings hold a special significance, offering us a space to connect, find solace, and celebrate our identities within the context of our faith.
We would like to thank Frontlines Toronto, Gender Reveal Podcast, Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, the Sexual and Gender Diversity Office at University of Toronto, and Kind Space Ottawa for their generous support and sponsorship to make these Ramadan celebrations possible.
📸 @zainabashr
Virtual Programming
Queer Muslim Network continues to offer virtual programming for queer Muslims around the world to form connection. Virtual programming began with (Gay)me Nights in 2022, to a Q&A with El-Farouk Khaki (2022), Protest Safety Training (2023), and annual virtual Ramadan Iftaars (2023-2024).
Ottawa Programming (2024)
Queer Muslim Network’s Ottawa Chapter offers community spaces for queer Muslims and allies based in the region, such as Ramadan Community Iftaars in partnership with Kind Space. If you are a queer Muslim based in Ottawa seeking community or volunteer opportunities, please direct message Chapter Lead Blue (She/Her) at @fxlcon or @queermuslimnetwork.
Ramadan & Eid (2023)
Queer Muslim Network partnered with the Unity Mosque, The 519, and Africans in Partnership Against Aids for sold-out Iftaar and Eid celebrations. From khutbahs, to duas, to prayer, to breaking fast, this Ramadan was an incredibly special time in QMN history. With over 200 attendees across both events, it can only be described as a beautiful evening that honoured our faith and our queerness 🫶🏽
Since then, QMN’s annual Ramadan programming has only grown in partnerships, attendees, and love.
📸 @zainabashr
Queer Muslims In The Park (2022-2024)
In 2022, QMN hosted its first in-person community picnic and forever changed our understanding of community and togetherness. From Christie Pits, to Trinity Bellwoods, to Ramsden Park, each picnic and potluck has been a chance for new and returning community members to connect, share in food, crafts, activities, conversations, and laughs. Community picnics have become a staple for QMN summer programming. Fun Fact: many of the QMN executives met for the first time at these picnics!
During our Zikr Under The Stars picnic event in August 2023, a community member led us in a Sufi-centered event to explore mindfulness, breath work, and connection to our Creator. Zikr, which means "reminding oneself" in Arabic, is a ritual prayer practiced by some Muslim mystics with the purpose of achieving spiritual growth and building a connection with the All Mighty. 📿
TIFF Screening & Panel (2022)
In collaboration with the Toronto International Film Festival, QMN screened the award-winning @withlovefrommunera film and hosted a panel with @sarahftaher and @angryqueersomaliboy on the importance of queer Muslim representation in media.
With Love from Munera: A young queer Somali Muslim storyteller, Munera Yusuf, walks us through the spaces that have shaped her healing and growth from some of the most trying moments of her past. We explore the spaces she feels the safest, from the chair of Tee Fergus’ tattoo studio, to strolling the streets of Toronto with her friends. Munera’s journey illustrates that self-discovery is an ongoing process, rather than an ultimate destination. Munera’s high-spirited personality and eclectic style easily captures attention and hearts as she expresses the importance of self-awareness through life’s unforeseeable changes.
Iftaar Drop Off (2021-2022)
During the pandemic, QMN and @queeringramadan delivered 130 free iftaars to queer Muslims across the GTA during Ramadan, thanks to the generous donations by community members. During a period of isolation and distance, it was an honour getting to feed the community and reaffirm that a Muslim community takes care of one another. With the support of @earthandcity and @risingyouthtig, this initiative was just the beginning for QMN 🌈
Learn how to run your own iftaar drive here.
Check out the BTS video here (2022), and the CBC interviews here (2022) and here (2021).
📸 @anushaysheikh
