Ramnani: Welcome back to series with me, the podcast where we explore the human experience through honest, courageous, and deeply personal conversations. This episode is a powerful one. I'm joined by Agile Camp, a UK based activist and founder of the Muslim LGBT network, a global online community that creates safe spaces for LGBTQ plus Muslims to connect, share and be heard. In this conversation, Agile speaks openly about growing up as a gay man in a South Asian Muslim community, the long and difficult journey towards coming out, and the intersection of identity, faith, culture and sexuality. He reflects on how events like nine eleven shaped his sense of belonging, the challenges of navigating religion while staying true to himself, and the realities faced by LGBTQ plus individuals in countries where being open can come at a devastating cost. We also talk about resilience, the power of community, the importance of safe dialogue, and why human rights must remain at the center of this conversation. This episode is honest, complex, and deeply human. So wherever you're listening from, take a moment, lean in, and let's share this conversation together. Hi. Hello. Really nice to meet you. Thank you for your time today.

Khan: Oh. That's okay. It's a pleasure. Thank you for having me, by the way.

Ramnani: My pleasure. My pleasure too. Thank you. I understand that you formed the Muslim LGBT network. Can you explain what that is and why did you set it up and what purpose does it serve?

Khan: Well, the Muslim LGBT network is open to all. I did it mainly as a social media platform to connect people from all over the world to come together, you know, to talk about their lives, but to make sure they're talking in a safe space. Some Muslim countries, obviously. And I made them aware, please don't say anything that will get you in trouble in your country. But it was a way of trying to connect people to speak and come on the forum. And it's a worldwide forum today where people from all over the world. It was just another social media platform. And we're everywhere on social media Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.

Ramnani: How many members do you have?

Khan: Well, on Facebook we have over a thousand members. I think it's coming up to nearly two thousand members. And the other ones we have like altogether probably got a few thousand between two and three thousand active members just online. But we have hundreds of members within the UK. I'm based in the UK, I was born and raised in the UK and you know, online. Yeah, it can go up to anything up to like three thousand members. But um about hundred of us I know of personally in the UK.

Ramnani: Wonderful. What did other LGBT Muslims tell you about their experiences of living in countries where they faced persecution?

Khan: Like people think every Muslim country bans homosexuality or got the death penalty, but it's different according to your jurisdiction. They tell me about how life is for them and I always make them aware: please don't say anything that will incriminate you or get you in trouble with your local authority. So it is difficult. I mean, some countries ban it. They tell me that obviously they cannot be open about their sexuality. Other countries have lengthy prison sentences. So although there's no death penalty, you know, you could go to prison because it's illegal to be gay. So it depends. There are very few countries in Muslim countries where it is legally tolerated. So yeah, it's very difficult for most Muslims that don't live in the West.

Ramnani: What do you have that other people from the LGBTQ plus communities may not have in other Muslim countries?

Khan: I was born in Luton, but my parents came from the Indian subcontinent — you know, like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. So yeah, I mean, I was first generation born in this country. But it was very hard for me because where I live, we had a large population of people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. They used to call it the Indian subcontinent in those days — now it's called South Asia. But I'm nearly fifty now. It's better. I'm lucky. I live in a country where it's legal, in a Western secular liberal democracy. I found out later on, meeting people and talking to people from all over the world, that in fact I was very lucky. It was just my community — because we were an immigrant community — we weren't so open about it. But nowadays, people in this country talk about it quite openly.

Ramnani: What was your experience from your community when you came out?

Khan: Oh, it was very negative at first because in those days it was frowned upon in our community. Even though we lived in the West, we still didn't talk about those type of issues to do with sexuality. So it was negative, very negative in my formative years. It took me until I was thirty to really come out. And by then we had the internet — that’s where I really came out publicly. My family knew, my friends knew, but to the whole world, I came out when I was thirty.

Ramnani: I understand that you have had experiences of racism about twenty five years ago. How did it change your self-identity?

Khan: It does impact me and my community because we have to deal with sexuality and race and religion — we call it intersectionality in the West. So the intersection between all of those things, it affects you more than just dealing with race or sexuality alone. Normally people, when they see me, the first thing they see is me — a South Asian man. They don’t know my background. Racism has been a big thing in our community.

Ramnani: Can you give me an example of racism?

Khan: Especially after nine eleven — the September 11, 2001 attack — I lost most of my white European friends. That was almost overnight. I considered them friends, but they were dropping me like a hot potato. That’s when I started to look into my identity more — where am I from, culturally, religiously? Before then, I had friends of all races and religions.

Ramnani: How does this make you feel?

Khan: It made me feel bad. I even spoke about it at a conference in Birmingham about post-nine eleven effects. We had the seven seven attacks in London too. Since then, it’s been about bridging gaps between communities through communication.

Ramnani: What did your experience teach you about yourself?

Khan: It taught me I was hiding my identity. I wanted to be accepted. But after nine eleven, I realized there were pockets of racism and intolerance. It pushed me to reconnect with my roots, my faith, and my culture — even exploring colonial history and why my parents came here.

Ramnani: What backlash have you experienced for speaking out?

Khan: Mostly online trolling and hate. In the past, there were physical altercations, but now it's mainly online. I report it and encourage others to report it too. In the UK we are protected by law, but others in different countries are not — and that’s why the network exists.

Ramnani: Can you talk about your lived experience as a gay Muslim?

Khan: Initially it was very difficult. I tried speaking to local mosques and imams, but the response was negative. That’s why I went online — to find community. Even now, in the UK, I feel we are tolerated but not fully accepted.

Ramnani: Why do you think acceptance is difficult?

Khan: It’s not just Islam — it’s across Abrahamic faiths. The issue comes from literal interpretations of religious texts. Other faiths have evolved in interpretation, but many Muslims still interpret texts literally.

Ramnani: Do you go to the mosque?

Khan: Yes, occasionally. Especially during Eid. It’s better now — mosques are more open. But acceptance is still limited.

Ramnani: What do you mean by “only tolerated”?

Khan: I was told: “You can be gay, but don’t talk about it.” That’s the difference. You can exist, but not fully express who you are.

Ramnani: How did that make you feel?

Khan: Extremely hurt. I stepped back from my community for a while. I felt I couldn’t be my authentic self — even though I lived in a country where it’s legal.

Ramnani: How did you cope?

Khan: I turned inward. Practiced faith privately. Read and reflected on my own. It actually made me stronger.

Ramnani: What advice would you give others?

Khan: Be open. Learn from others. We are all human. In many countries, being gay can lead to prison or death. People don’t choose this. We must focus on humanity and human rights.

Ramnani: Census data shows very low numbers of Muslims identifying as LGBTQ+. Why?

Khan: Fear — absolutely. In many countries it’s illegal. Even in the West, community pressure prevents people from coming out. There are far more people than statistics show — they just cannot safely identify themselves.

Ramnani: Any final thoughts?

Khan: I look at countries like India where colonial laws have been repealed. There is still progress to be made, but it gives hope. Many countries still use colonial-era laws to persecute LGBTQ+ people. I hope one day everyone can be free. If not, I’ll spend my life working toward that.

Ramnani: It has been a pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much for your time today.

Khan: Thank you very much for having me. I’m honored to be on your podcast. And to everyone listening — may God, or whatever you believe in, be with you.

Ramnani: Thank you so much.

Khan: Thank you.

 

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