To Speak A Song

DeQH: Desi lgbtQ Helpline

DeQH is the only helpline in the U.S. run by and for LGBTQ South Asians. I helped to launch the organization in 2012, and have been on the Core Committee since. DeQH provides an important space for queer South Asians to find support without facing the stigma common in mainstream counseling. You can reach DeQH at (908) 367-3374 on Thursdays and Sundays from 7-9 CST.

 

 

 

 

East Coast Solidarity Summer (ECSS)

East Coast Solidarity Summer is a political education weekend geared towards South Asian youth. I joined the planning team after participating in the retreat and loving the space. We focus on topics such as Our Migration Histories, Queer and Trans* Liberation, Anti-Black Racism, Militarism and Capitalism, and more. This is where the hard work of movement building takes place: engaging our youth in hard conversations, pushing ourselves to prioritize action over words, and committing to live the political in our personal and community lives.

 

 

 

 

National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)

NQAPIA is a national federation of LGBTQ Asian Americans, South Asians, Southeast Asians, and Pacific Islander organizations. I am on the board of NQAPIA. Recently, NQAPIA has focused on the fight for immigrants' rights, and for the specific and often overlooked needs of LGBTQ API immigrants and their families. NQAPIA is also building the capacity of our local organizations by hosting Regional Summits across the nation.

 

 

 

 

LGBTQ Hyphen

Hyphen magazine is one of the oldest Asian-American magazines in the country. The magazine focuses on issues and stories of concern to the Asian American community and works to elevate our voices. Hyphen is now launching an LGBTQ section, to raise the visibility of this marginalized and often invisible community. I am one of this section's staff writers.

 

 

 

 

UW-Madison's Multicultural Student Center & Institute for Justice Education and Transformation

This is where I currently work. The Multicultural Student Center (MSC) at UW-Madison provides a safe and educational space for students of color at the university. The Center is unique in that it operates from a social justice perspective and model. I am the Social Justice Education Specialist at the MSC, and I develop and facilitate most of the workshops offered by the Institute for Justice Education and Transformation.

 

 

 

 

Racial Justice Consulting

This project is still getting off the ground. I am working with five other local trainers in Madison, WI to launch a racial justice consulting organization. We recognize a need and potential for growth in this city around racial justice, and are building on the energy that has followed publication of the Race to Equity report (pictured). We are intentionally prioritizing multiple session trainings and strategy development with organizations committed to increasing their long-term capacity for racial justice work.

 

 

 

 

National Queer South Asian Organizing

This is also a project, or perhaps still more an idea, in the works. I am committed to building a national network of LGBTQ South Asian community organizations and organizers. I believe that visibility is still a dire need in our communities, and I am excited about the possibility of nation-wide movement-building. As part of this work, I helped organize the first ever dedicated queer South Asian space at Creating Change, the largest LGBTQ conference in the nation, in January 2014. I am excited to see where this momentum takes us.