Faye Kingston’s Instagram has been getting hateful comments since she became open about her faith on social media. 33-year-old Faye is a transfeminine Muslim. Since “coming out” as religious, she’s experienced a great deal of cyberbullying. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is what Faye describes as a time of “reflection, discipline and spiritual growth”.
Beginning this year on the evening of 18 February and concluding on the evening of 19 March, Ramadan is a sacred period for Muslims around the world. This Ramadan, Kingston seems to have received an increase in abuse. She says, “My relationship with God is deeply personal.
I do not see my identity and my faith as opposing forces. You can’t tell me who I can’t be. It’s between God and me.” She admits it is difficult to battle such hostility but adds that it serves as a reminder of her faith, and that she ought to approach such situations with compassion. “Even if we don’t have the same opinion,” Faye says, “I am human too. Being Muslim and being trans are both parts of my lived reality.” Faye hopes the Muslim community will lead with “compassion and humility”, noting: “Faith at its core teaches empathy and accountability.
If we lead with kindness and conversation we become more human.” She adds, “For me, visibility feels important. Not everybody feels safe being visible, and I completely understand that. But I’m not the only person with this lived experience. I choose to share it because if someone sees it and feels alone, they need to know they matter.”
