A toasty touch lingered in the elevator between breaths. A slick, green, and clean rod–encircled by mist–breached only by a set of lips, hovered gloriously in her dewy cranial plasma. She leaned forward and then so did she. They jiggled warmly together for a few minutes, chatting about color. “My favorite color is purple because … Read More
After creating our lord and savior, Dimple Lala, Tanuja Desai Hidier is still kicking ass. It has been fifteen years since South Asian womxn met Dimple Lala, the main character and narrator in Born Confused, the first South Asian young-adult novel to tell a relatable story that was nowhere else to be found but in … Read More
In Sri Lanka, homosexuality remains a crime. Non-profit organisation EQUAL GROUND works to dismantle cultural and social stigma, and fights back against police corruption and government inactivity to seek human and political rights for Sri Lanka’s LGBTIQ community. Kajal sat down with Executive Director Rosanna Flamer-Caldera to discuss Britain’s colonial legacy of homophobia, Colombo Pride celebrations, … Read More
Tasneem, who uses they/them pronouns, is a revolutionary Muslim-American artist who utilizes folk-rock and jazz in their songs. Their work is imbued with tenderness and emotion. “In this moment of American history, I think it’s just plain revolutionary that I exist create music and tell my story as a Muslim woman,” Tasneem told Kajal, in the … Read More
Here’s an introduction to South Asian queens who deserve all the praise in the world, but are rarely celebrated. As a scholar of queer South Asian nightlife and performance, I am regularly asked, “But Kareem, why hasn’t there been a South Asian queen on Drag Race?” Not that RuPaul’s Drag Race has to be the … Read More
I felt myself blooming. The tips of myself shivering. Wondering. If your mouth was a puzzle piece. If watercolor would dye silt. If I could pull you in with a skein of silk. I waited: and I promised the water that spilled from me was pure. My fault, I know. My hands open to the … Read More
A few years ago, I truly believed a brown man would save me from my loneliness. It’s embarrassing to admit now, but at the time, my everyday life was shaped by this hope: if I could just find one to love and desire me, then I’d be rescued from my existential despair, from my perpetual … Read More
Listen and be enraptured. Ms. Mohammed is a London-based musician using her gossamer presence to take command of her audience. Her music is original and catchy. But it’s more than the kind of sonic surfactant that gets us through an afternoon commute. It’s the kind of music that is cross-modal to our senses. We can … Read More
You can’t beat Bollywood. While the London School of Economics is known as one of the most prestigious universities in the world, hosting and home to many Nobel laureates and world leaders, it is also now known as something completely different–an incubator for amazing dance talent. The London School of Bollywood, or LSB, skyrocketed to … Read More
It was only three years ago that India passed The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill to end discrimination against trans people in the country. Since then, Indian society has taken steps to fight against the disenfranchisement of transgender citizens, but progress remains slow. On this year’s Trans Day of Visibility, vaporub brand, lifesaver, and literal embodiment … Read More
