The intersection of folk narratives with queer spirituality presents an ontological displacement of subjectivity triggered by an inquiry towards the nature of identity. Decentering of identity to the extent of modification of the self into a trans-human relationship mediated through love between a fairy and a man is a queer spiritual experience which creates anti-normative spaces hitherto celebrated in folklores. This paper explores societal oppressive apparatuses fore-grounded in assertive religious discourse forcing people to seek reliance against such faith-based norms in folkloristic tradition and to create spaces where their sexuality is celebrated rather than condemned. Saif-ul-Malook is the folk narrative in the regional literature of Punjab by Mian Muhammad Bukhsh (1830-1907). It describes the love tale of a Prince with a fairy. Positioning queer subjectivities amidst a metaphysical worldview is an attempt of resorting to inner conflict of self through gender and sexuality. By separating spirituality as sociological discourse from discursive religious practices, our paper investigates queer spirituality in different folkloristic forms on experiential standards than that of belief systems.

In recent times, religiosity and spirituality have received much attention towards mental health, but very few investigations worked on their role on life satisfaction within the gender perspective. The present study, however, investigates the relationships between religiosity, spirituality, and life satisfaction among individuals residing in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Pakistan, with special reference to gender. For this purpose, a sample of 150 adults (71 men and 79 women) were selected by convenient sampling technique and was evaluated using validated versions of three scales: Religious Orientation Scale (ROS), Spirituality Scale (SS), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SLS). Results indicate that religiosity and spirituality have a significant positive correlation with life satisfaction. Results of linear regression showed that religiosity and spirituality significantly predict life satisfaction. Women reported more religious orientation and spirituality as compared to men in the sample studied. The study is useful for both men and women, highlighting the importance of one's orientation towards religion.