Episode 111 - Amir Yassai - Being Muslim and Gay
Channel: The Tragedy Academy Podcast
Date: 13/01/2022

Episode 111 - Amir Yassai - Just Be Kind
thetragedyacademy.com
Summary
In this episode of the Tragedy Academy, we sit down with Amir Yass, digital creator, and LGBTQ activist. As a queer Muslim man, Amir has faced discrimination from all sides - even from other LGBTQ individuals. This discrimination inspired him to affect change and begin a series of panels that address biases within the queer community. As host of "The Take On" podcast, Amir continues his work tackling the big topics while interviewing some of Bravo TV's brightest stars. Today, Amir lives out his authentic, unapologetic self, bringing him closer to his faith and reaffirming his belief that orientation and religion are not mutually exclusive. Through candor and humor, Amir paints how standing up for equality of all facets is how we bring about change. 

Key Points

📲Living unapologetically on social media
 🏳️‍🌈Queer resiliency
🤣The power of humor
🚫Ignoring the hate
🎙Marrying religion with sexual orientation

Episode Highlights
[1:45] - Amir describes his experience on the gay dating app, Grinder. Even within this supposedly open community, he was surprised to find he was on the receiving end of racist bullying. These events inspired him to begin a series of panels on various forms of discrimination within the LGBTQ community.

[5:36] - Amir discusses the unique position as gay and Muslim and how these communities interact. While many in the LGBTQ community have complicated relationships with religion, Amir believes that his relationship with God is very personal and doesn't need to involve his sexual orientation. The two are mutually exclusive to him.

[12:05] - As a stand-up comedian, Amir has witnessed how jokes made at the expense of the LGBTQ community are still very funny to most people. He believes that while queer people are still the butt of the joke, bullying and homophobia will continue. It also means there is still a lot of work to do in our own country to address these attitudes.

[18:47] - Jay points out that comedy can also be an excellent vehicle for change. While you have a captive audience, you can use humor to point out ignorance. Perhaps the ignorant minds in the audience will go home and begin to think differently without having been personally accosted. 

[24:02] - Amir argues that coming out can almost be performative for straight people. Amir brings up the enormous pressure that is put on people within the LGBTQ community to come out as themselves for the benefit of their family and friends - something straight people will never experience. Amir believes this pressure can cause mental health issues that extend beyond coming out. 

[30:45] - Toxic masculinity has recently been at the forefront of our social consciousness, but in Amir's experience, some of the most vitriolic comments surprisingly come from women. Amir suggests that these women feel threatened by effeminate men because they encroach on their territory of femininity.

[40:55] - To wrap up the episode, Amir tells us it isn't rocket science. While some may confuse the issue by saying there are too many pronouns or genders to keep up with, Amir explains that all you need to do is just be kind.
Connect with Amir

Instagram | https://bit.ly/3JR9Krm | @amiryassofficial
Cameo | https://bit.ly/3pZyUwi
The Take On Podcast | https://bit.ly/3JRaoVO