Urooj Arshad has over two decades worth of experience advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Using her world-leading knowledge, Urooj has helped implement, and design, programmes on a global level to ensure the rights of the LGBTQ+ community are heard. In order to ensure these programmes, whether they be local, national or international, are executed effectively, Urooj has been expanding her skillset through a Fellowship with the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, a Public Voices Fellowship through the OpEd Project, and participated in two Centre for American Progress Programmes. Urooj has become one of the most popular keynote speakers on the rights of the Muslim LGBTQ+ community, homophobia and Islamophobia.
Having first gained knowledge of social groups through her studies in Sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urooj further expanded on this knowledge throughout her career and spent 14 years working with the incredible non-profit organisation Advocates for Youth where she helped to secure $1 million in funding to help educate youth on sexual health, and their sexual health rights. To help advance the rights of LGBTQ+ Muslims, Urooj developed two programmes at Advocates for Youth: the International LGBTQ+ Youth Health Rights Programme and the Muslim Youth Leadership Council. She also co-founded the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity.
With Advocates for Youth, Urooj worked her way up to the position of Director of International LGBTQ+ Youth Health and Rights before then becoming the Senior Programme Manager for Freedom House. She helps provide emergency assistance, and security assessment and training to human rights defenders or organisations which are under attack for their LGBTQ+ human rights work. With truly groundbreaking work Urooj has helped to implement throughout society, it comes as no wonder that her work has been featured in The Oprah Magazine, USA Today, NBC News and Teen Vogue. She was also part of an elite group which was selected to speak at the Obama White House’s Pride and Heritage event and served on the 59th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
Urooj previously served on the Board for the Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice and has been the recipient of numerous awards including the National Queer API Alliance’s Community Catalyst Award and the Latino GLBT History Project’s Award in recognition of all her advocacy work. Urooj has spoken at some of the most prestigious events in the world including Capitol Hill, the State Department, convenings of Muslim Leaders and the European Science Foundations’s conference on Religion, Gender and Human Rights. Do not miss your chance to hear from one of the leading experts of LGBTQ+ rights in the world, Urooj Arshad today.
Urooj Arshad is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“We were lucky to have Urooj give an engaging and thoughtful presentation about the complexities of Queer Muslim life. She managed to encapsulate how her lived experiences and activism are inextricably enmeshed with larger societal structures and politics. She pushed students to think critically and engage beyond their perspectives with her anecdotes of work across continents and with a variety of communities. She didn’t shy away from the difficult questions and explaining complex topics, leaving students thought provoked and ready for a fruitful discussion.”
“Urooj’s presentation in Oslo, Norway during the ‘Intersections of Islamophobia and LGBTIQ+phobia’ seminar brought important perspectives from the U.S. Her critical analysis around gendered islamophobia not only grounds the reality of LGBTQ Muslims living in the U.S. within the larger geo-political contexts, it also makes connections that are relevant to those of us living in Europe. Her talk ‘Islam and LGBTIQ+ are not mutually exclusive – best practices from the United States’ is a testament to LGBTQ Muslim’s struggles in a time of rising fascism, xenophobia and islamophobia but also a reminder that the only way forward is by centering the intersectional lives of those most impacted.”
“Urooj was invited to present her work and expertise at a two day workshop held at Columbia University entitled Global Governance of the Intimate. Her presentation ‘Pushing back simultaneously against gendered islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia: LGBTQ Muslims in the age of Trump’ was deeply engaging and informative for our group of feminist scholars, journalists, and activists working on gender in South Asia and the Middle East. Urooj masterfully touched upon complex issues using accessible language. Urooj has a clear passion and commitment to her work that energized us all.”
“Urooj Arshad is a gem. She is a deeply passionate community leader, an inspiring speaker who speaks from the heart. Her stories and deep knowledge of intersectional social justice as well as internationalism come out through her talks. She is also a gem because of literal sparkle– her outfits and style are on point, and she is well known for bringing the bling! Urooj’s deep experience, interactiveness, and style are bound to engage students and participants at events. I look forward to every opportunity I have to bring her back to speak on our campus.”
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