Lifestyle / PRIDE 2021 SPECIAL: 10 LGBTQ+ Voices That We Need To Listen To

PRIDE 2021 SPECIAL: 10 LGBTQ+ Voices That We Need To Listen To

Lifestyle Jun 01, 2021

by Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

To kick off Pride 2021 we put together our global list of 10 personalities, thought leaders and activists who have raised the profile of being South Asian members of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s time to make notes and to really listen.

Since the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, June has been dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. So much has happened since the humble beginnings of “Gay Pride Day,” which has allowed people the space to be their authentic selves. But, let’s be honest, progress would not be possible without the hard work and bravery of many groups and individuals who have long since advocated on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community!

And so, without further delay, check out our list of 10 personalities who are breaking boundaries, not only for the LGBTQ+ community but within the South Asian sphere as well.

Tan France

**PRIDE 2021 SPECIAL: 10 LGBTQ+ Voices That We Need To Listen To: Tan France.** Photo Credit: www.gqmiddleeast.com

You might know Tan France from the rebooted and popular Netflix series, Queer Eye, where he is the first gay South Asian man of Muslim faith on a huge television show. France is originally from Yorkshire, England and is of Pakistani descent. He grew up in a Muslim household, where he knew at the tender age of 13 that his aversion to men was something he needed to keep to himself. While he has made a name for himself in the fashion industry, he has also been a breath of fresh air for those in the South Asian community as France has become someone they can relate to.

France released his memoir in 2019, Naturally Tan, which spoke to his experience grappling with his sexuality in a racist hometown and as part of a “strict” Muslim family. Most recently, in April of this year, France announced that he and his husband will be welcoming their first child soon. All in all, France continues to break boundaries for the South Asian community and he has become the representation that he craved when he was growing up.

Lilly Singh

Lilly Singh has come a long way since her days as IISuperwomanII! She’s had a successful run with her late-night show on NBC, A Little Late With Lilly Singh, and is moving onto new opportunities. She signed two huge deals: first look deal with Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group as well as for specific project with Netflix. Singh has been a beacon of light for the South Asian community in so many ways, but a particularly important moment was when she came out as bisexual. Her coming out has served to break down some barriers and provide representation for those who are struggling with their sexuality. Next up, Singh will continue to use her platform to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community with a “…short film [in which] She will be playing a princess who discovers “pride in her identity” …for the digital children’s content network, Pocket.watch,” according to Yahoo.

Vivek Shraya

Vivek Shraya is a trans woman who “…uses music, literature, visual art, theatre, and film to engage audiences on topics like mental health, queerness and inclusion,” according to CBC. Shraya founded VS. Books that focuses on championing new voices in the BIPOC community. Which makes sense she released her 12th best-seller in March How to Fail as a Popstar which came out in March. Her work continues to break down boundaries within the South Asian community and broader area on how to conceptualize “…gender and offers insights on how to create change,” notes the National Speakers Bureau. This also includes being the first Trans person to be an ambassador for Pantene, as part of their #HairHasNoGender campaign last November.

Priyanka

Priyanka, otherwise known as the Queen of the North, is of Indo-Guyanese descent. After starting out in drag in 2018, things really took off for her in 2019 after she was dubbed as ‘Toronto’s Best Queen’. In 2020, Priyanka won Canada’s Drag Race, making her the first Indo-Caribbean winner on the show – providing some much-needed representation for the community. Nonetheless, being gay and being a drag queen were not topics that were easy to raise for Priyanka in a West Indian household. Priyanka’s win and the praise her mother shared on social media was truly pivotal as it demonstrated how important it is to be there for your children and support them in embracing their authentic selves.

Akkai Padmashali

For Pride last year, we interviewed activist Akkai Padmashali and there’s a reason why we continue to admire her tenacity speaker, singer, recipient of the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, mother, and a member of Congress. Her personal life has provided the representation that the South Asian community needs, while her relentless work continues to allow her to advocate for the rights of transgendered persons in India. To learn more about Padmashali, be sure to check out her candid interview here!

Harmeet Rehal

Harmeet Rehal is a trans, non-binary, and queer artist of Sikh-Punjabi roots. They use their art to help educate their audience on how they can be more respectful of the needs of the LGBTQ+ individuals in their lives or otherwise.

Alok Vaid-Menon

Alok Vaid-Menon is “…a non-binary, transfeminine writer, entertainer, and performance artist,” explains Homegrown. Their work includes two books, Femme in Public (2017) and Beyond the Gender Binary (2020), which tackles the unfair and unspoken sacrifices that come with femininity and how gender norms are limiting, respectively. Similarly, Vaid-Menon dreamed up #DeGenderFashion, which is meant to remove the limits gender places on “…fashion and beauty.” If that’s not enough, they continue to be the voice for anti-discrimination for trans persons, as they work to “…change the narrative of [LGBTQ+] movement and create a space for queer people of colour that are searching for an identity.”

Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil

No list would be complete without paying homage to Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil who shocked the world when he came out in 2006 as “…the first openly gay Indian prince” and embrace his authentic self. Who could forget that Oprah interview! To date, Prince Gohil continues to engage in activism work, such as teaching people about HIV/AIDS with the The Lakshya Trust. Prince Gohil has also “donated a 15-acre pink palace to be converted into a clinical center and shelter for those in need, especially the large LGBTQ+ homeless population,” highlights DissDash. In India, there is still so much stigma surrounding sexuality, in general, much less topics relating to the LGBTQ+ community. However, Prince Gohil’s coming out and subsequent marriage to Duke DeAndre Richardson signals that while change might be difficult, it is necessary.

Jameela Jamil

Jameela Jamil, who has Indian and Pakistani roots, did not ‘come out’ the way she’d hoped she would, especially due to her fears of judgement from her South Asian community. After landing a role on the show Legendary, which many felt wasn’t appropriate as she wasn’t queer, Jamil spoke up saying “I guess I’m bisexual, but also quite fancy everyone.” Today, Jamil uses her podcast I Weigh and social media to continue to challenge impossible beauty standards, racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Maulik Pancholy

Maulik Pancholy, of Indian descent, is an actor, author, public speaker, and activist. He penned the book, The Best At It, which follows the story of an Indian pre-teen who is gay and trying to figure out what he is best at. His public speaking events include discussions about his book, along with “diversity and inclusion,” according to Maulik Pancholy. Meanwhile, DissDash notes that Pancholy’s activism work often focuses on “…the South Asian community and the LGBTQ+ community and works with organizations like OutRight Action International, an organization that addresses human rights violations and abuses against the LGBTQ+ community.” But, that’s not all, Pancholy is also the Commissioner of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), where he helped to establish #ActToChange, which is an “…anti-bullying campaign” for young people in the community.

Main Image Photo Credit: www.femina.in, www.byrdie.com, www.dissdash.com, and www.twitter.com

Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

Author

Devika (@goberdhan.devika) is an MA graduate who specialized in Political Science at York University. Her passion and research throughout her graduate studies pushed her to learn about and unpack hot button issues. Thus, since starting at ANOKHI in 2016, she has written extensively about many challe...

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PRIDE 2021 SPECIAL: 10 LGBTQ+ Voices That We Need To Listen To

by Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

Devika Goberdhan | Features Editor - Fashion

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