Meet America’s Only Openly Gay Imam

He’s black. And he’s Muslim. Think that’s not hard enough? He’s gay. Think that’s still not hard enough? He’s an Imam. And he loves life.
Think you have challenges in your life? What do you think the challenges are for a gay, black, Muslim who is the United States’ first openly gay Imam?

Well, Imam Daayiee Abdullah is all those things. Plus you can add one more thing to his description: He’s truly one of the most optimistic people you will meet—and for good reason.

“When I graduated from high school, I hoped that one day gay Americans would be able to get married. And now here I am 45 years later officiating same-sex marriages—how can I not be optimistic that the future is bright?” explained the 61-year-old Abdullah, who lives in Washington, D.C.

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Categories: Americas