GIVING VOICE TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER SOUTH ASIANS

M A G A Z I N E

PRIDE & MONSOON 2009

REASONS SPE SUE
ECIAL DOUBLE ISSU
SS

TO BE PROUD
THE FIRST GLOBAL
SOUTH ASIAN PRIDE MARCH

CELINA JAITLEY: OUTSPOKEN

PUBLISHED BY
TRIKONE VOL 24, NO. 2 & 3 KAMILA SHAMSIE ON THE
USA $8.00 IMPORTANCE OF BEING IMMODEST
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INDIA RS. 150
TABLE OF CONTENTS

23 REASONS TO
BE PROUD 10 1
From activists to writers; fashion
designers to politicians: we profile
25 passionate, creative, courageous
and high achieving South Asian LGBT
personalities from around the world.

Trikone Magazine • Pride Edition 2009

FROM THE EDITOR 2
Columns
AROUND THE WORLD IN 90 DAYS 4 LIFETUNE
Round-up of key LGBT news from across the world.
INDECENT PROPOSITION 6
The California Supreme Court’s validation of
INDIA’S OUTSPOKEN AMAZON 8 Proposition 8 deserves a federal court challenge
Actress and former Miss Universe Runner up, Celina Jaitley talks to
Tushar Joshi about the no-holds barred role that she has taken on and COMING OUT STORIES
that is close to her heart: of a tireless gay rights campaigner and fearless BEARING TRUE WITNESS 7
advocate for India’s LGBT community. How Naufal Khan, South African by birth, Muslim by religion,
Indian by culture and gay by nature, found his path to
fulfillment
“MODEST GOALS ARE
A BAD IDEA” 22 JOURNEYS BY CANDLELIGHT
An interview with award-winning Pakistani writer, Kamila Shamsie, on her REMAPPING FAMILIAR GROUND 8
writing, influences and the global nature of Donna Summers’ popularity in Shanta Jambotkar strives to make sense of a suddenly
gay circles. strange and at-times estranged world after a difficult coming
out
THE GLOBAL SOUTH ASIAN GUEST COLUMN
PRIDE MARCH 26
If you were wondering if there was anybody, like you, out there, you can HINDUISM AND HOMOSEXUALITY 32
Swaminathan Venkatraman, a board member of the Hindu
stop now. South Asian LGBTs from around the world are out marching on
American Foundation (HAF), asserts that Hinduism does not
our pages – and for once you don’t have to worry about getting a name or
provide any fundamental spiritual reason to reject or ostracize
number. Well ok, you still have to worry about getting a number. Our Pride
homosexuals
special Photo Feature.
BANGALORE DAZE
COMICS: PRIDE HIGH THE GIFT 34
GAME OVER 36 Out of one Silicon Valley and into another – the life and
Excerpt from Issue 3: Our path-breaking gay super-hero comic series. A times of Brian Veazey in Bangalore: ethnographer, romantic,
food fight turns into a super-powered brawl as Suravi and friends help Indophile and occasional penman
defend a new student from a pair of high school bullies.
 FROM THE EDITOR
The lady who cuts my hair, dates a man from Bangladesh who has lived in the
San Francisco Bay Area for nearly 25 years. With all the exposure to the LGBT
community that living in the Bay Area brings, he still refused to believe her at first,
when she told him that one of her clients was from India and was gay. He told her
EDITOR
that there were no gay South Asians. While he stands disabused of that notion since;
Abhay Prasad
I think its safe to say that the South Asian LGBT community everywhere has until
FEATURES EDITOR
recently been largely invisible.
Satyajit Pande
The evolution of LGBT visibility is a little like a snowball rolling downhill. It can PUBLISHER
start as a small clump of snowflakes slip-sliding down. But then, by merely interacting Satyajit Pande
with the snow on the ground it rolls over, the clump gathers more snow every step CONTRIBUTORS
of the way. The larger it becomes and the more momentum it gathers, the easier Rahman Haq, Tushar Joshi, Shanta Jambotkar,
and likelier it is for snow in its path to become a part of it. Until it finally reaches Leena Kamat, Naufal Khan, Rakesh Modi,
critical mass, as a massive ball of snow that is impossible to miss and that threatens to Abhay Prasad, Tommy Roddy, Brian Veazey,
Swaminathan Venkatraman, Natalie Soysa, Priyanka Mitra
gentrify any neighbourhood in its path. But first, you need that clump of flakes.
MAGAZINE WEBMASTERS
LGBT communities have been built, and rights won by brave people –many of them Rushme Ray, Dhiraj D.
not activists in any sense of the word – who stepped out of the closet and demanded PROOF-READER
2 that they – that we - be counted. So in this special double issue, sandwiched between Russell Johannesson
Pride season and Coming Out Day in October, we want to celebrate those who are DESIGN AND LAYOUT
out and proud about their lives and loves and who make it easier for others to find Red & Burgundy, redandburgundy.com
the freedom to express their true selves. Since this is also Trikone Magazine’s 23rd THE TRIKONE MAGAZINE (ISSN 1042-735X) is published
anniversary, our cover story, 23 Reasons to be Proud, profiles 23 high achievers from four times a year by Trikone, P.O. Box 14475, San
across the globe, who have, through their talent, hard-work and passion won great Francisco, CA-94114, USA. Subscription fees are US $20
Trikone Magazine • Pride Edition 2009

success and recognition in their fields. And who, by being out, serve as rare guiding
lights and role models for us all.
And just in case there are others doubt the existence of LGBT South Asians, we
thought it would be a good idea to stage a Global South Asian Pride March…in
print. From Bangalore to Boston, and from Suva to Seattle via London, our photo
feature, closes out Pride season with out and proud desis from all around the world.
This feature also celebrates our allies. Hindi film star, Celina Jaitley gave an exclusive
interview to Trikone Magazine on her newest role: that of India’s most prominent
and outspoken gay rights campaigner - who is also straight. And award winning
Pakistani writer, Kamila Shamsie talks about growing up in Zia’s Pakistan, Karachi
per year for domestic delivery or US $36 per year for
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Send address changes to: TRIKONE MAGAZINE,
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EDITORIAL COMMENT

and how Donna Summers’ appeal to gay men transcends borders.
As the religious leaders-led backlash to the Sec. 377 verdict builds in India, we are
proud to feature a guest column, Hinduism and Homosexuality, by Swaminathan
Venkatraman a board member of the Hindu-American Federation that distills what
Hindu scriptures really say about homosexuality. This issue, we start a new column
Journeys by Candlelight, by recently out Shanta Jambotkar, as she explores the ways
in which her life has changed and generously lets us come along for the journey.
The past few months have brought more good news than bad. While the California
Supreme Court upheld Prop 8, New Hampshire legalized gay marriage, and
Albania(!) is ostensibly on the brink of doing so. Sec 377 was repealed in India,
Pakistan’s Supreme Court affirmed rights of transgender individuals, pride marches
were held in 7 cities across the sub-continent. In a time of continuing upheaval
around the world, these are not small blessings. Let’s make sure to count them. Or
better yet, to celebrate them.
Abhay Prasad
editor@trikone.org
Send all feedback on content to editor@trikone.org.
TRIKONE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ray Gottfredson; Manoj M.; Rakesh Modi, co-chair ;
Priti N., co-chair ; Rushme Ray; Abhay Prasad
Trikone (a Sanskrit word for “triangle”) is a community
group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered peo-
ple of South Asian heritage. (South Asia includes Afghani-
stan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet, and the Diaspora.) Founded in
1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area, Trikone is the oldest
group of its kind in the world. Through social and advo-
cacy activities, Trikone offers a supportive, empowering,
and non-judgmental environment where queer South
Asians can meet, make connections, and proudly promote
awareness and acceptance of their sexuality in society.
Trikone actively works against all forms of oppression
based on race, gender, class, and other identities.
EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING ADDRESS
P.O. Box 14161
San Francisco, CA 94114
trikone_publisher@trikone.org
http://www.trikone.org
© 2009 TRIKONE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 COMING OUT

Bearing True Witness

by Naufal Khan

I won’t begin by telling you how horrible

it is when you do come out, but I will
start by telling you this…I am happy. I am
moral courage. He was speaking to South
African students in 1966, the heyday of
the sadness I brought to my parents and
the feelings of shame that they had to en-
apartheid: dure. I also cried because I finally did it! I
Naufal Khan, Muslim by birth, black by
“Few are willing to brave the disap- was free from being “straight.” It was very
roots, Indian by culture and I am gay. I am
proval of their fellows, the censure of hard for me.
living my life to the fullest with no regret
their colleagues, the wrath of their
for being a homosexual individual.
society. Moral courage is a rarer com- Days, weeks, and months passed as I slow-
“Believers, conduct yourselves with modity than bravery in battle or great ly adjusted to my identity as gay and Mus-
justice and bear true witness before intelligence. Yet it is the one essen-
16 God, even though it be against your- tial, vital quality for those who seek
lim. I found life different, isolated, and the
selves, your parents, or your kinsfolk.” change had begun. I waged a war within
to change a world that yields most
—Quran 4, 135 painfully to change.” myself to change for the better. I eventu-
ally crossed paths with someone amazing.
I was dogged by members of the Indian This is what we all need to remind our-
Subashin Gramani came into my life when
and Muslim community for my stance on selves each time we take a step forward
being gay and wanting to live my life freely. as demeaned individuals. It has been nine I was virtually hanging by a thread. He
Trikone Magazine • Pride Edition 2009

I was beaten up on many occasions by gay months since I came out of the closet to supported me through my hardest times.
bashers, but I still stood up and always my family and the world. I have lost the re- I love Subashin as much as a straight
thought, “this too shall pass.” spect of many in my family, and my father person would love their other half. Today,
Subashin and I are creating a home for
I battled a few good years with my orien- hasn’t spoken to me at all since I decided
tation and being Muslim. I owed myself, to out myself. My mother called me soon ourselves and our future children.
the individual, Naufal Khan, a right to live after and told me “it is going to be okay,
happily for myself and not others. you are my son and I still love you like The idea that two homosexual individuals
the day you were born.” I cried for a week, cannot build a home together is a myth.
Here’s what Bobby Kennedy said about knowing my life was evolving. I cried for We as gay desis are not inherently different
from the rest of the world. We are made
to feel so by homophobia. Here I am with
my partner, Subashin, living a happy and
contented life together. All one needs to
do is believe in oneself and then anything
that comes your way can be overcome.

In the past, the forced silence among ho-

mosexuals has led many to forgo coming
out and instead opt for unhappy marriag-
es. But we in the newer generation have
been less silent and more proactive about
our identity. I challenge you, the gay desi,
to awaken yourself and free yourself from
societal conformity and be who you are
destined to be.
•
Naufal Khan, is a radical, free-thinking
writer seeking reform and equality for all
homosexual individuals around the world.
Trikone Magazine • Pride Edition 2009

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