On Nov. 17, Student Interest Groups TASHAN and Anchorage organized a panel discussion about identity and orientation in South Asia. The panel — led by four student panelists and a student moderator representing various South Asian countries — was the first of its kind.

“The point of the panel was to allow South Asian students to individually explore topics [about] queerness in their countries,“ said an Anchorage Executive Board member. “It was about highlighting the intersectionality of the identities of people in Anchorage while also reaching out to more people in TASHAN’s network.”

Almost 30 attendees sat around Al-Diwan to enjoy some samosas while the panelists discussed various LGBTQ issues specific to their countries. Their presentations shed light on the multiple aspects of queer culture — from fashion and literature to law and religion — that have long existed in the South Asia. In addition, the discussion also included the role of British colonization in criminalizing homosexuality in India in particular.

“Since this [LGBTQ rights] is a hot topic in South Asia right now, [we here at] TASHAN felt like it was our responsibility to talk about it,” said TASHAN President Doovaraha Maheshwarama, Class of 2020. “Addressing how it [the experience of being queer] is different in different parts of [South Asia] and even within a same country was one of the main aims of the panel.”

Nisala Saheed, Class of 2020, presented on the history of fashion in Sri Lanka, particularly highlighting the culture’s transition from kings and ministers wearing skirts similar to their female counterparts, to the modern day. Saheed also talked about the need for intersectionality while discussing queer issues in the country, discussing the significance of an individual’s socio-economic status in getting access to adequate resources.

“The panel is a great way of decentralizing western-centric views of acceptance and expression, ensuring that the conversation expands beyond the human rights movement born out of the stonewall riots in the U.S.,” said Saheed.

Another panelist from Nepal talked about the presence of LGBTQ figures in Hindu mythology, showing pictures and books that further delve into the normalization of queerness in Hinduism. With the help of news clippings and pictures, another panelist presented on the past, present and aftermath of the scrapping of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. A panelist from Pakistan discussed the presence of the queer community in the time of the Mughal Empire. The panelist also talked about the difference in perceptions and experiences of transgender people compared to other members of the LGBTQ in Pakistani society.

“For me, the panel introduced a new understanding of the LGBTQ experience in South Asia, from the way colonialism imposed homophobia to the way queer themes are expressed in religion,” said Katie Sheng, Class of 2020.

The panelists’ presentations were followed by a discussion session where attendees asked questions related to the content of the presentations and also on multiple other factors that affect the LGBTQ community in South Asia. One of the discussed topics was the impact of social media platforms on the lives of LGBTQ individuals. It showed how in some contexts, social media has created a platform for them to express themselves freely but on the other hand, how the visibility can also act as a threat to them.

“Spaces like these are important because of not just what you get to learn from them but also the fact that they exist in the first place,” reflected Siya Chandrie, Class of 2021. “Who knows if I’ll ever again be able to be in a place like NYUAD where I’ll get to experience panels with such a diverse range of South Asian perspectives on an incredibly important topic like this.”