Alyssa Pruitt

Professor Azam

English 101

24 October 2017

The True Harm Caused By the Ban on Muslims

Trumps response to the shooting at a gay bar in Orlando in June 2016 was that he is go-

ing to everything in his power to protect the LGBTQ community from this point on. However in

doing so, Trumps plan was to ban Muslims from entering the United States. This ban would be

harming another group of people, especially those who are Muslim and part of the LGBTQ com-

munity. One active member of the LGBTQ community and Muslim, Aqdas Aftab, spoke out on

this issue by publishing the article The Homonationalism of the Muslim Ban in the Bitch Me-

dia in February 2017. As a queer Muslim woman, Aftab was outraged by Trumps ignorant re-

sponse to the attack against the LGBTQ community. Aftab builds her credibility with her per-

sonal background, reasoning with her audience, and ethical connections with credible founda-

tions to strengthen her argument and convince her audience.

Aftab uses the appeal logos when explaining why Trumps ban on Muslims harms the

LGBTQ community than good. Aftab explains how the LGBTQ community is not just white,

rich, cis people. The community also includes people of different races, sexualities, and genders.

So, the ban also hurt certain groups of people who identify as homosexual or transgender that are

also Muslim. Aftab states, Since homonationalism pits the LGBTQ community against people

of color and Muslims, it produces a whitewashed image of the queer community that sees queer

and Muslim as mutually exclusive identities (paragraph 4). When Aftab explains how the ban

will effect people of color within the LGBTQ community, she has a better chance of convincing
her reader of her argument. It will further convince her readers because shes explaining the

harm this ban will cause for the group of people Trump is trying to help. Trumps ban illustrates

how he plans to protect LGBTQ people with homonationalism. Aftab explains how homonation-

alism is how racist projects interfere with gay rights.

Aftabs also uses the appeal of ethos by providing her personal background when inform-

ing the audience. Aftab grew up in Islamabad and came to the United States to pursue an educa-

tion in English literature. As well as being Muslim, Aftab is also queer. So, this ban relates to her

personally. This builds her credibility on this issue because she is someone who could have been

affected by Trumps ban. Furthermore, it shows the seriousness of the ban against Muslim peo-

ple because if Aftab were to want to come to the United States after the shooting in Orlando, she

may not have been able to come and study. Since this article relates to Aftab personally, it gives

her an advantage when persuading her audience because she is someone who could be effected

by the ban. Even though Trumps ban is supposed to protect those who are homosexual, it does

not protect Muslims. So, Aftab would not be protected by Trump because she is queer and Mus-

lim.

Aftab uses the appeal logos again to further her argument. Aftab wants to inform her au-

dience that protecting the LGBTQ community requires protection of all races as well. The com-

munity consists of all types of people, not just white people. Also, she discusses how Trump only

cares about LGBTQ people when it is convenient and beneficial for himself. Trump has made it

public that he is homophobic and transphobic, so Aftab explains how Trump is using LGBTQ

rights to proceed with a ban against Muslims. Aftab says, the Muslim and refugee ban is already

transphobic and homophobic, since it violently oppresses trans and queer Muslims and refugees.
Its also important to remember that Trumps co-optation of LGBTQ rights in the service of Is-

lamophobia is nothing new(paragraph 5). When Aftab explains Trumps previous discrimina-

tion against homosexuals and transgenders it helps persuade the readers of her argument. If the

audience realizes or remembers Trumps previous homophobic or transphobic behavior, the

readers will be more drawn to the fact that Trump isnt interested in doing what is best for all of

the LGBTQ community, but only the white members of their community. In addition to this,

Aftab states that problems of racism occur within the LGBTQ community as well. Privileged

white queer people have been guilty of racism causing gender and sexuality to work together

with racism and imperialism. Aftab also brings attention to the fact when LGBTQ members have

protested in the past, white queer people are shown most in history films. Aftab uses the Stone-

wall riots as an explain of this: And even though historic movements like the Stonewall riots

were led by trans women of color who were resisting police violence, the whitewashing of

LGBTQ history by films like Stonewall has only made it easy for the state to see privileged

white queers as its sympathizers(paragraph 9). So, the racism can come from within the com-

munity as well as from people outside of the community.

Lastly, Aftab uses pathos by appealing to the emotions of certain groups within the

LGBTQ community. She explains to the audience what Trump and society should do for the

LGBTQ community rather than ban Muslims from our country. Aftab says we should let

Trumps ban be a lesson on how to work for liberation for homosexual and transgender people.

Rather than ban Muslims from the United States, we should be protecting queer or transgender

Muslims the most. The most vulnerable groups should be taken care of more than privileged

white LGBTQ people. Aftab states, . Emphasize the lives of the most vulnerable within the

trans and queer populationlike Muslim refugees, like sex workers, like homeless folksand
then perhaps we will be able to create a movement that liberates all gender and sexual minorities,

not just the cis, the rich, and the white(paragraph 10). In order to do so and fight against the

ban, Aftab explains that it is necessary to create a movement that focuses on homosexual and

trans people of color. In addition to this, Aftab explains how the ban can cause people of color

and Muslims to be seen as homophobic because of Trumps values test which is used to question

immigrants. Aftab questions, But what if the immigrant being vetted by Trumps values test

is a brown trans Muslim whose discomfort at having one of their identities function as a weapon

against the other gets misunderstood as homophobia?(paragraph 4). This shows how the ban

can cause more problems and fear to people of color who are homosexual and/or trans. Aftabs

use of emotion in her article can further convince her audience of her argument because the audi-

ence will feel empathy for muslim and people of color members of the LGBTQ community and

realize the disadvantage these people have.

Overall, Aftab uses thorough and strong arguments as to why Trumps ban is not a good

solution or response to the shooting in Orlando that target homosexuals. Aftab also uses the emo-

tions of LGBTQ members who are being hurt by the ban to appeal to her audience. She has a

personal background that will help readers find her as a credible resource. Aftab uses logical rea-

soning and previous events in history to further her argument showing the homonationalism be-

hind the Muslim ban.

 Works Cited

Aftab, Aqdas. Queering Islamophobia: The Homonationalism of the Muslim Ban. BitchMedia,

www.bitchmedia.org/article/one-nation-under-hate/homonationalism-donald-trump.