‘Safe spaces, inclusive services’: support service access and engagement by LGBTIQ+ Muslims

In 2017, Muslim Collective received funding from the Multicultural Affairs and Social Cohesion Division (MASC) in the Victorian State Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) to conduct a research project aimed at improving our understanding of the unique service needs and delivery requirements for vulnerable members of the Muslim LGBTIQ+ community. In this report, we explore participants’ experiences of how their sexualities, gender identities and religious beliefs affect their healthcare access and use, and the meanings they derive from such experiences. While exploring how LGBTIQ+ Muslims address and manage stresses can provide practical insight into means of promoting resilience and encouraging the access of health and community services, it does not excuse or decrease structural and institutional responsibility and culpability.