oa ‘You live in the West now’

Homonationalism is a recent topic of debate in the field of queer studies, with scholars such as Jasbir Puar and Jin Haritaworn, Tauqir, & Erdem arguing that homonationalist discourse others Muslims by constructing them as homophobic and thus ‘backwards’, as opposed to Western ‘progressive’ acceptance of homosexuality. However, these arguments have not adequately addressed the adoption and reinforcement of homonationalist discourse by queer Muslims. Using the concept of homonationalism, this article investigates the reinforcement of homonationalist discourse by queer women of colour in their representation of Muslim and Arab sexuality. It does this by exploring the connection between Western secularist and Orientalist discourses, and Western debate on queer reproduction. Through an analysis of the film I can’t think straight, I argue that the reflection of these Western discourses in the film reinforce constructions of Western (sexual) exceptionalism and Eastern ‘backwardness’, implying that inclusion in homonationalist discourse is possible for gay Muslims, as long as they meet certain requirements.