Part 1: Experiences of Queer and Trans South Asians Chip Agarwal I interviewed Prahas Rudraraju (they/them), a Master’s student in Asian American studies at UCLA. We talked about experiences of colorism within the Asian American community and navigating queerness and transness in Asian spaces.
We discussed the feeling of being the “spokesperson” for different communities, whether it be as queer people or Indian people. Rather than finding a solution to this, we identified that this may be relatively inescapable. The practice to prioritize in these situations is rest and finding spaces where you do not have to “speak for your people.” For Prahas, they were able to find a queer Indian space in a local organization, Satrang SoCal. This organization provides a safe social space for queer and trans south Asians. When speaking with Prahas, I came to the conclusion that there really is no avoiding advocating for your communities, nor did either of us really desire to. However, the important thing is to avoid burnout, making sure you always have ways to recharge yourself from this important expenditure of mental energy. One example of the erasure of gender diversity in India can be seen in holy texts. In Hindu holy tests, such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, there is strong documentation of how the hero Arjuna was gender-diverse. He is described as “Arjuni – the female Arjuna.” However, as in many cultures, these legacies of diversity have been lost, often purposefully. This presence of Arjuna as gender-diverse is not common knowledge today, even to those who are experts in these texts.. The significance of this is that those who read these texts today do not understand gender diversity as not only a part, but an integral part of our culture. Had this incident of erasure not occurred, we could have had a more promising and supported future for gender-diverse Indians globally. We turned to the topic of Asian American reception of queer and trans identities in the modern day. We could not help but comment on how stigmatized these identities are in our communities, despite the rich history of these identities within our cultures. I brought up the example of the hijra, a group of gender-diverse Indian people who have been recognized as a critical and holy part of Indian culture for centuries. They are often relied upon to bless newly married couples for future fertility, and to educate children of their communities. Prahas and I commented and shared how disappointing it is that these people, once holy, are now ostracized. Upon further research into this topic after our conversation, I uncovered that upon British colonization, hijra identity was criminalized. In 1864, the British created an extension of the 1533 Buggery Act that criminalized all gender-diversity and queerness in India. It aimed to eradicate “non-procreative sexualities.” This legislation, later immortalized as section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, resulted in a huge amount of hostility towards the hijra and other queer folks, shifting a prior legacy of acceptance to one of discrimination. This lack of a desire to understand diverse identities led to a subsequent and devastating loss of culture and quality of life for queer folk, especially the hijra. The hijra were excluded from nearly all employment for hundreds of years under this legislation. They continue to advocate for themselves and have made some progress in regaining rights today. Proposition 377 of the Indian Penal Code was struck down in 2018, decriminalizing homosexuality, and thus helping the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in India. It is heartening to know that progress is being made, though the legacy of colonization runs deep. Prahas and I transitioned our conversation towards looking forward, and I was curious to ask them if they had any advice for queer Asian youth. They talked about the importance of safe spaces where people feel comfortable being themselves. The biggest piece of advice I took away was, “find a space where you can thrive.” So there you have it, folks. Find a space where you can thrive. Things are looking up, I hope. Until next time, Chip About the Author: Chip is a third-year Psychobiology major and Classical Civilization. Chip is passionate about advocacy to create social change and serving the under-resourced in medicine, especially as a queer, trans, and nonbinary Indian person. Outside of APHC, Chip does research in the UCLA DiSH Lab and volunteers at local animal shelters. They enjoy spending time with family, french toast, and a good book.
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