RECAP: Hijab Butch Blues Book Club Discussion

Feb 26, 2025

Did anything particularly surprise you in the book?
When we meet Lamya, they are already something of an outsider; to the language of Arabic, to the community of the Gulf country to which they’ve relocated, to physical space unnavigable without a car. How did those experiences shape Lamya?
“Not a day goes by that I am not terrified . . . that people can see through me.” Talk about why Lamya H, a queer Muslim currently living in the U.S., chose not to author their own book using their full, real name. What does their anonymity say about their perceived place in the world? What does it communicate to you as a reader?
Take a moment to talk about the stories, characters, and themes in the Quran that shaped Lamya’s sense of self. Which story from the Quran that Lamya shared resonated with you the most? How did it change your perspective, and did you learn something new about yourself?
“I feel so politically aligned with womanhood,” Lamya writes, “and yet hate inhabiting it.” Talk about how the author presents herself, and how her body is “read” when she wears the hijab. What does her hijab show to the world about who Lamya is—or appears to be?
Let’s say you had the chance to invite Lamya to your book club. What kind of questions would you ask them? What would you like to learn most about their life now?

Our lovely host, Zenith Bose, prepared a summary of the conversation between 13 members:

In book club, we explored the many themes woven throughout Hijab Butch Blues, diving into the intersections of queerness, faith, and identity. One of the most striking points of discussion was how many of us come from different faith backgrounds—Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Hindu—and how powerful it was to read a memoir that challenges the idea that queerness and faith must be at odds. Several members reflected on growing up in religious communities where queer people were either absent or invisible, not because they didn’t exist, but because those spaces weren’t safe for them to be open. This made Lamya’s story especially compelling, as it highlighted the ongoing tension between personal faith and societal expectations.

We also talked about how urgent and necessary these discussions are right now. The political climate has made the world increasingly unsafe for BIPOC queer folks, and books like Hijab Butch Blues provide an important space to reflect, resist, and reclaim identity. Many of us appreciated how the author interrogated religious texts rather than blindly accepting interpretations handed down by others. For those of us raised in faith traditions that discouraged questioning, this approach felt deeply refreshing and even liberating.

Another major theme we unpacked was the idea of never feeling “enough” within any identity. Lamya’s experience of being told she was too queer by some, yet not queer enough by others, or being seen as too religious by some while also being viewed as not religious enough by others. Many of us related to this struggle—navigating multiple identities, constantly feeling as though we had to prove or justify who we are.

Hijab Butch Blues sparked some necessary and deeply personal conversations about faith, queerness, and the expectations placed upon us. It left many of us thinking about how we can create safer spaces—both in our faith communities and in the world at large—where people can exist in their fullness, without having to shrink or hide any part of themselves.

Culturally Enough.

Discussion about this post

Culturally Enough.

RECAP: Hijab Butch Blues Book Club Discussion

Book Club Discussion Questions

Our lovely host, Zenith Bose, prepared a summary of the conversation between 13 members:

Recommended Reading List based on the conversation (curated by the community in attendance):

Discussion about this post