{"id":5442,"date":"2007-02-26T17:11:00","date_gmt":"2007-02-26T15:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/?p=5442"},"modified":"2025-02-27T17:18:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T15:18:59","slug":"february-2007-gender-dynamix-holds-trans-awareness-training-with-the-inner-circle-tic-south-africas-first-queer-muslim-association","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/february-2007-gender-dynamix-holds-trans-awareness-training-with-the-inner-circle-tic-south-africas-first-queer-muslim-association\/","title":{"rendered":"February 2007 \u2014 Gender DynamiX Holds Trans-Awareness Training with The Inner Circle (TIC), South Africa’s First Queer Muslim Association"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In February 2007, Gender DynamiX (GDX)<\/a><\/em><\/strong> held a trans-awareness workshop with staff from The Inner Circle<\/em><\/strong>, later known as the Al-Fitrah Foundation<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, in Cape Town, South Africa. The Inner Circle was founded by the world’s first openly-gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks as a group for gay Muslims to navigate their Islamic faith and sexual identity. Sadly, Imam Hendricks died on 15 February 2025, murdered in a suspected hate attack. Liesl Theron<\/a>, the then Executive Director of Gender DynamiX who led the workshop, had this to say about Imam Hendricks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00ab\u00a0He was gentle, kind, had a great sense of humor, was a trail blazer, activist, leader, internationally known and loved. He will be deeply missed.\u00a0\u00bb<\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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From the trans-awareness workshop by Gender DynamiX with staff from The Inner Circle. Imam Muhsin Hendricks is in the centre, with Gender DynamiX’s Executive Director at the time, Liesl Theron, next to him on the right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Remembering Imam Muhsin Hendricks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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June 2017 \u2014 Tholulwazi Uzivikele, a human rights organisation, meets with Imam Hendricks (centre) at The Inner Circle to expand their knowledge of the queer community within Islam. Photo from the Al-Fitrah Foundation’s Instagram page.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Born in 1967 in Cape Town, he dedicated his life to reconciling faith and identity, and to support marginalised Muslims. Despite facing rejection and constant death threats, he established Masjidul Ghurbaah, an inclusive mosque, and reinterpreted Islamic texts to promote acceptance of queer Muslims. He founded The Inner Circle in 1996, and conducted his spiritual work at the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque, also known as ‘The People’s Mosque’. His work empowered countless individuals to reconcile their faith and identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@openlynews<\/a>

Muhsin Hendricks became the world’s first openly queer Imam when he came out in the late 1990s. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, he is credited with starting the country’s first LGBTQ+ friendly mosque and over two decades of activism he has sought to help queer Muslims reconcile their faith with their s\u00e9xual orientation. \u00a0 \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Reporter: Lucy Middleton in Cape Town \u00a0 #lgbtqrights<\/a> #lgbtnews<\/a> #capetown<\/a><\/p> \u266c Stories 2 – Danilo Stankovic<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote>