I hope that my story will allow other LGBT people to understand that we, LGBT Muslims, can practice Islam and be who Allah created us to be. Perhaps, for someone, my story will be an example to help them accept themselves, as I have been able to do so.

I remember very well the moment when I realised I was a lesbian. I was in school, in the tenth or eleventh grade, and I happened to meet Zulfia in the gym during a volleyball competition – she was also into volleyball. Zulfia was from another school. I couldn't get to know her, I only heard her affectionately referred to as "Zulia" by her teammates. A couple of times when we were playing I wanted to talk to her, but I couldn't because I didn't understand what was happening to me. What if others say something – we were girls after all. I tried to get acquainted with her, but she would not contact me, I was ashamed and scared. When the competition was over, I never saw her again. But that's how I got to understand that I like girls.

It was a very difficult experience for me because I always felt lonely: there was no one to share my pain with, to confide that I was different. When I grew up, I found out that people like me live and enjoy life. Then I thought: why should I hide it in myself? After all, it is not good for me. I created a page for myself on dating sites and started chatting with girls. A lot of good and bad happened after that. Love, dates, breakups, pain.

I came out to my mother, and she accepted me for who I was. I remember her saying: "Why? It's not news to me." It was difficult, but when I finally made up my mind and did it, I felt so much better about my life. Unfortunately, at that difficult and challenging time, when I was just beginning to become conscious of myself, I couldn't share it with anyone.

I am a Muslim and this is very important to me. It is important because I was brought up in a Muslim family and my parents were very religious. For example, my father always made my brothers go to the mosque and pray and he argued for it. Even my mother always told me to wear a hijab so the neighbours wouldn't say anything. I could not wear it because I never wore dresses. Sometimes my brothers would make me wear them, but more often I would flatly refuse and always complained to my dad.

I know that Islam stands for justice, for purity, for understanding each other, for respect for each other. These are the values that I share and adhere to.

Religious Muslims say all the time that same-sex relationships are a sin and all that. I don't accept that. Yes, I read the Koran and studied it when I was young, because my father, my brothers, my mother made me read it. It was definitely not in vain: at some point in my life, it brought me relief. In the process of realising I was a lesbian, I kept seeing my brothers come from the mosque and say that the mullah was saying that same-sex relationships were condemned by the Koran, that such people should not be in the Muslim family. It scared me, I suppressed my feelings for girls because I thought it was a sin. But when I studied the Koran myself, looking for exactly what my brothers and mullahs were talking about, I couldn't find it. The older I got, the more I realised that those were stereotypes that needed to be broken. It's hard to do that in our society, especially if you are an LGBT person. Now I feel great, I don't care about the opinion of this kind of "right" Muslims, I know what they really are.

What has helped me to keep Islam in my life? It is belief in Allah, belief that he is just and created us the way we are. If he was against it, he wouldn't have created us the way we are. After all, the world is very diverse and LGBT people have a place in it, too.

Sure, I have friends who have been very helpful in times of need. There have been those who were confused over their identity and being Muslim, but I have always supported them and told them that Allah created us and He is great. I met people who found it difficult but in the end, they came to the idea that we [LGBT people – editor’s note] can also be part of society and be Muslims. It is very difficult for us to live in this society, and religious stereotypes and conservative views about same-sex relationships make it even more difficult. There are many stories where people could not accept themselves because of these stereotypes and committed suicide.

I am an LGBT person, and it makes me happy.

I am a Muslim, and that is my wealth.

I am a Tajik, and for me, this is my pride.

It is important for me to take part in the project so that other LGBT Muslims can read my story and be able to accept themselves, as I have been able to. I understand that it may not be easy, but I hope that more and more people will realise that we are just like everyone else. It's just the way Allah made us. I would like LGBT people to love themselves, to love their life because it is beautiful and only given to us once. Therefore, we should live it the way we want to, without listening to others' opinions, without trying to conform to stereotypes that are put on us. To go on living, to be what we want to be in this beautiful world.

I worry a lot about other LGBT people. I worry that many LGBT people ruin their lives by caring about the opinions of others, going after other people's beliefs, doing things they don't want to do, and even taking their own lives. Please be who you are, don't forget to dream, set achievable goals for yourself. Everything will be great, I believe.