this one’s gonna get a lil senti -🧿- Being Tamil & openly queer are two very significant parts of my identity that I grew up thinking would never be able to coexist. Growing up in an area of Markham, heavily populated by the Tamil community, made owning my ethnic identity fairly effortless. In my elementary years, I was surrounded by fellow Tamils, proud of who they are and where they came from. Contrary to how I felt about my Tamil identity, I spent a large part of my childhood neglecting my queer identity as a means of protection. Queer representation in the early 2000s (& even now) was and is heavily Eurocentric and I felt totally alone as a queer person of colour navigating my sexual orientation at a young age. I felt as if I had no choice but to keep my queer identity a secret and internalize this part of who I am indefinitely. In my adolescent years, I began to notice a shift in how I felt about my Tamil identity after venturing outside of my primarily Tamil bubble and into predominantly white spaces. The pride I felt for my culture in my younger years gradually turned into shame. I could no longer relate to my peers and felt the need to assimilate to Western culture and neglect my own in order to fit in. This set of photographs signifies + celebrates growth, self-love, and my own progress towards accepting that being both Brown and gay is ok. I am proud to be Tamil. I am proud to be queer. I am proud to be Tamil and queer. Racialized queer & trans folks— you are valid, you are seen, you are loved. 🌈✨ —— 📸: @wearefoxphotography 💄: @shobia.mua 👭: @alyypatel . . . #tamil #desi #queer #queerdesi #qtbipoc #queerpoc #lgbtq #lgbtq🌈 #lgbt #lesbian #gay #queerlove #queercouple #queerpride #lesbianlove #lesbiancouple #lesbianpride #lesbianofinstagram #gaypride #gaylife #gaycouple #gayinstagram #lgbtrights #lgbtequality #lgbtcommunity #lgbtcouple #lgbt🌈 #toronto #wearefoxphotography #makeupbyshobia (at Osgoode Hall) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7gpgElhGCn/?igshid=1ez7tvhi3secy
