Queer Muslim scholar Azfar Anwar joins Queer Talk to explore Queerness in Islam, his journey from conflict to self-acceptance, and how questioning and deconstructing what he had been taught helped him rediscover his faith. We also explore identity, AI and what the future could hold for Queer Muslims.

There’s something I want to talk about today that comes up a lot in therapy, especially with LGBTQIA+ people: the thin, slippery line between self-improvement and insecurity. We’re constantly told we should be working on ourselves—losing weight, gaining muscle, fixing our skin, staying youthful, becoming "better." But better for who? For ourselves? Or for others to want us?

Addiction is more than just excessive drinking, drug use, or compulsive behaviours—it’s a pattern that disrupts life, relationships, and well-being. Whether it’s alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, pornography, or chemsex, addiction can take many forms, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, where factors like stigma, discrimination, and trauma often contribute to higher rates of dependency.