About becoming a multimedia artist and author: experiences of a non-binary trans man

You are a multimedia artist from India. Moreover, you have been working as a writer and editor and you have participated in numerous theatre performances. Wow! That sounds pretty amazing! Tell us more about your recent projects.

Thank you so much! My two most recent projects have been related to my performance poetry. My poetry is currently featured at The Haven, a Vancouver-based gallery dedicated to showcasing art by transgender people.

On March 2, I had the privilege of being the opening performer for Reframe, a pan-Asian summit on redressing gender norms hosted by Breakthrough India. I debuted a piece, written for the summit, called Daddy’s Little Princess.

Also, you have been active on Instagram, where you document your lived experiences about your transition and what it means to be a non-binary trans man from the global South. Please tell us more about your account and the topics that you want to make more visible via social media.

I started becoming active on my current Instagram account in late 2019 in the wake of the oppressive Trans Act in India, which has stalled our rights significantly. Since then and since the onset of the pandemic, I have continued to speak extensively on my lived experience of being transgender in India and how I navigate my identity, my written and performance work, and my relationships with other people in my life (who are also mostly queer and trans).

The topics I actively speak on include being trans for yourself (this means transitioning without caring about the considerations and comfort of cisgender people), being neurodivergent (I am formally diagnosed with ADHD and I am a self-diagnosed autistic person), and how the two intersect with being South Asian and living in India.