Diverse sexualities and gender identities in migrant South Asian communities
Conference panel · March 2021 · 1 hr 28 min
A panel from the 5th Annual South Asian Mental Health Conference on what coming out can mean for LGBTQ+ South Asians and for their families.
South Asian people have migrated to major cities across North America in various waves of immigration, some motivated by economic opportunity and others for mere survival. We arrive in new places where we endure the trauma of the settlement process and constantly navigate the tensions between assimilation and cultural preservation. What does this conflict mean for LGBTQ+ South Asians and their families?
This talk features a parent from Desi Rainbow Parents & Allies and a clinical social worker who identifies as South Asian, Muslim and queer. It explores the emotional stressors that accompany “coming out” for both LGBTQ+ people and their family members; the experience of shame, loss and trauma; and strategies to mobilize and support anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia work in our communities.
Speakers: Aruna Rao, founder and Executive Director of Desi Rainbow Parents & Allies; Fayzan Gowani, who facilitates intergenerational discussions on gender and sexuality in the Shia Ismaili community; and Rahim Thawer, MSW RSW CCS, a psychotherapist and author.
What it covers
Migration and settlement stress
Coming out for LGBTQ+ South Asians and their families
Shame, loss and trauma
Anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia work in communities
