Following in the footsteps of last year’s YonixSpeaks event, DesiQueer Speaks is the second of its kind event by Tasveer, focused on centering authentic queer, South Asian stories and experiences. This program is dedicated to creating a safe space where LGBTQIA+ narratives in the Desi community can be shared, empowered, and celebrated!
The event will feature performances from our ‘DesiQueer Speaks’ workshop participants (led by Jay Bhateja) who have worked hard these past several weeks crafting their story/performance pieces exploring their Queer South Asian identities.
Get your tickets for Saturday, June 21, and join us at the special ‘DesiQueer Speaks’ Pride Month community showcase! 🏳️🌈Bring your friends and witness the power of queer storytelling with us at The Tasveer Film Center (4816 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118).
Arrive at 6 PM to check out our participating tabling orgs. The showcase starts at 7 PM!!
See you there!
EVENT SCHEDULE:
5:30PM: Door Opens
6:00PM: Tabling orgs and chai
7:00 PM: Welcome Remarks by Tasveer Executive Director Rita Meher & host Jaydev Bhateja
7:10 PM: DesiQueer Speaks story showcase begins
8:30 PM: Refreshments available and event concludes
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR’S PERFORMANCES BELOW.
THE LONG WAY HOME TO MYSELF
By Akrita
At fourteen, I kissed a girl without knowing what queerness even meant — then spent the next twenty years trying to forget it ever happened. The Long Way Home to Myself is the story of how I finally stopped running from the truth, and started living it.
JAB WE MET
By Kevin Shah and Paul Decker
Before they could fall in love, Kevin and Paul had to find themselves—across continents, closets, and in the silent spaces between text messages. Jab We Met is a real-life romance built on patient pursuit and personal awakening—where one kept believing, and the other learned he could finally believe too.
READY? SMILE.
By Tan
Some journeys begin as an escape, but inevitably become a return to yourself. In the unfamiliar streets of a foreign land, I began to discover lost fragments of myself and the person I was meant to be.
LETTER TO A FRIEND
By Kriti Gena
Kriti reads a letter to a close friend, or is ‘friend’ the correct word?
EVERYTHING IS FLUID
By Vinitra
Vinitra grew up in India for the first 25 years of her life before moving to the U.S. for grad school. In this piece, she shares her story of self-discovery.
DESI QUEER TASVEER
By Farah Nousheen
Farah gives a personal and candid account of how Tasveer has been committed to the desi queer community from the very start when the concept formed in late December 2002. In this regard, she goes through Tasveer’s milestones, challenges, lessons, and visions for the future.
To learn more about last year’s program and read descriptions of previous pieces, visit https://tinyurl.com/yonix24.