LGBT Bookworms

In June we'll read Samra Habib's We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir. The book is an award-winning memoir written by activist and photographer Samra Habib. It tells the true story of growing up as a queer Muslim and searching for safety and identity. It won the prestigious Canada Reads Competition in 2020. Samra Habib was born into a traditional Muslim family in Lahore, Pakistan. As a child she remembers, “I’d only ever been surrounded by women who didn’t have the blueprint for claiming their lives.” Samra has a mother who gave up everything to be a pious, dutiful wife and an overprotective father who seems to conspire against a life of any adventure. Plus, she has to hide the fact that she’s Ahmadi to avoid persecution from religious extremists. As the threats against her family increase, they seek refuge in Canada, where new financial and cultural obstacles await them. When Samra discovers that her mother has arranged her marriage, she must again hide a part of herself until she simply can’t any longer. So begins a journey of self-discovery that takes her to Tokyo, where she comes to terms with her sexuality, and to a queer-friendly mosque in Toronto, where she returns to her faith in the same neighborhood where she attended her first drag show. Author Stacy May Fowles praises the work as “a beautiful telling of a life, of love, of the reclamation of power, of feeling truly seen, and of finding your way home. An exquisite, powerful, and urgent book.” Published in 2019, We Have Always Been Here is 240 pages long and is available in print and audio format in libraries and online. Come join us to discuss this compelling story.