Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i GAY TIMES

The year 2020 was a transformative period for many reasons. The obvious being the COVID-19 global pandemic which upended our way of living and made everyone reflect on what’s truly important in life. There was also the Black Lives Matter resurgence in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer, putting a much-needed refocus on the systemic racism that continues to plague our society. Both of these moments represent a significant moment in history – one that people will look back on for years to come. But in July of that same year, the first ever South Asian Heritage Month also took place. Amongst the huge political and societal turmoil the world was going through at the time, it didn’t have as much…

As the founder of Gaysians, Reeta Loi has brought the organisation to new heights over the past five years; bringing focus to collective healing amongst the South Asian community. Loi (she/they) is a writer, musician, activist, founder and CEO of the international LGBTQ+ organisation and movement, as well as a longtime friend, contributor and former cover star at GAY TIMES. She has continued to fight for legislation change in India and continues to be a queer voice and leader for many South Asian and people of colour around the world. Gaysians has expanded over the years, with Loi working with numerous organisations specialising in mental health, housing and international support. Loi has enabled many LGBTQ+ South Asians to come together through Gaysians, forever growing into a global family of volunteers,…

abacaxi SS22 From $95, www.abacaxi-nyc.com Named after the Portuguese word for pineapple, abacaxi blends a tropical spirit with an NYC lifestyle. After a decade of experience designing for other brands, Sheena Sood first started abacaxi with a capsule of silk garments that showcased vintage embroideries collected in Rajasthan, India. Over the years, the creative project has transformed into a growing fashion label, one that allows Sheena to tell new stories with every collection, and to create more opportunities for artisans practising ancestral crafts that are at risk of disappearing. The Spring/Summer 2022 collection is a saturated explosion of colour, with pieces ranging from heeled flip flops to press on nails, shorts and shirt coords to maxi dresses. abacaxi garments make use of traditional textile techniques from India and all across…

The first time I watched a Bollywood film, I was four years old, sitting in front of my dad’s projector screen. We laughed at the old comedy films, we cried at the dramatic ones and since then, we would watch any Bollywood film my dad could find and screen it on the projector. It became part of my childhood and my life. But as a queer individual, I realised that Bollywood has hardly presented queer identities and when they have, it isn’t representative of our identities in a positive light. When Dostana was released in 2008, I was 6 years old. It was a comedy film about two guys pretending to be gay to share an apartment. Watching it again when I got older, the film clearly wasn’t a realistic…

Mazahir Hussain, better known as @GirthOfVenus online, is cultivating quite the following. If you take a pleasurable stroll through his Instagram you will find thousands flocking to absorb a sense of visual wonder at his queer creations. Reminiscent of medieval tapestry, and the South Asian sex guide, the Kamasutra, the imagery reimagines the past and sheds much needed light onto Brown beauty. Here we speak to the artist on navigating the gay dating scene, his identity, and why finding acceptance on your past can unlock pleasure in the present. It’s a visual rebirth. Art is an artist’s artistic expression! Can you talk me through some of the inspirations, ideas and feelings you were exploring before you even picked up the paintbrush? Growing up there was very little South Asian representation…

South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) launched in 2020 and runs annually from 18 July to 17 August. SAHM has transformed how the UK connects with South Asian identity and communities in three simple ways: through the celebration of arts, culture, and heritage; the commemoration of history; and ultimately, through education. SAHM was created to platform eight South Asian countries and their diasporas: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. All were hugely impacted by relationships with Britain, primarily through war, colonisation, and Empire. SAHM is about reclaiming the history and identity of British South Asians; to magnify how South Asian influences permeate present-day Britain’s DNA. People of South Asian heritage are over 3 million strong; around 1 in 20 people. We must tell our stories, and SAHM…