‘Decolonising socio-political consciousness': second-generation LGBTQIA + South Asian experiences of finding the self and community in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Second-generation LGBTQIA + South Asians in Aotearoa New Zealand remain overlooked in mainstream queer discourse, with their identities inaccurately amalgamated with the broader LGBTQIA + community. Despite significant differences influenced by historical, socio-political, and cultural contexts, this population's experiences are often ignored. In early 2022, we conducted a community consultation to uncover these unique experiences, yielding 43 narratives through semi-structured interviews. This paper explores the interconnection between the sense of self, community, and the formation of identities. The complex and non-linear nature of these processes is particularly evident for second-generation LGBTQIA + individuals in the South Asian diaspora. The pursuit of a secure and authentic identity becomes arduous and compromising due to societal norms. We show that the intricate shaping of identities through the multifaceted lens of relationality offers a particular kind of socio-political consciousness.

KEYWORDS:

• Second-generation LGBTQIA + South Asians
• socio-political consciousness
• decoloniality

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the tangata whenua of Aotearoa, iwi Māori, and extend our deepest appreciation to the 43 participants in our community consultations. Your generous contribution of time, knowledge, experiences, and emotions has been invaluable. We recognise and honour your strength, resilience, and power, as well as the challenges you have faced in expressing your identity. To our LGBTQIA + communities, especially LGBTQIA + South Asians in Aotearoa New Zealand, we acknowledge and celebrate the strength, love, and humility within our shared struggles. Together, we strive for a future where authenticity is embraced. A heartfelt thank you to our funders, the Ministry of Ethnic Communities and the Rule Foundation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Tangata whenua translates to people of the land. The usage of the term holds significant cultural and historical meaning in terms of Māori culture and te reo, their language.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cayathri Divakalala

Cayathri Divakalala has been an activist researcher with over 20 years of experience in the social justice realm working on a plethora of topics. Her academic credentials are interdisciplinary and eclectic, with a Doctorate in Sociology from Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato The University of Waikato; a Graduate Diploma in Social and Political Thought from the Institute of Social Justice, Australian Catholic University, Sydney; a Master of Arts in Development Studies specialising in Women, Gender and Development from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands; a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Delhi; and non-degree coursework in Anthropology and Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. In conjunction with this, Dr Divakalala has held academic positions in Sri Lanka, Aotearoa New Zealand, and The United States of America, as well as published papers with Routledge Cultural Studies and South Asian Survey by SAGE Publications, and presented at international conferences. Currently, she is an Honorary Research Associate at the Political Science and Public Policy Programme, School of Social Sciences, Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato the University of Waikato. Beyond academia, she has been actively engaging with communities through Adhikaar Aotearoa which she co-founded.

Vinod Bal

Vinod Bal is a co-founder and the advocacy lead of Adhikaar Aotearoa, a New Zealand national charity that advocates for LGBT + people of colour. Domestically, he has worked with various organisations and government departments on LGBT + social, policy and legal matters. He is a thought leader in this space, sought after by the government, judicial and academic sectors. He also works to advocate for better laws for LGBT + individuals and greater protection of LGBT + individuals within the international legal framework. He is a Legal and Policy Advisor at New Zealand’s Law Commission, working on reviewing the Human Rights Act 1993 regarding protections for transgender, non-binary, and intersex people. He has worked at New Zealand Police on transnational organised crime, financial crime, and national security policy. He has lectured the law of evidence at Te Piringa – Faculty of Law, University of Waikato and remains on the ad hoc lecturer circuit. Further, he sits on Wellington City Council's Takatāpui and Rainbow Advisory Council and the Royal New Zealand Police College’s Independent Advisory Board. He has worked and studied across three continents in fields including law, policy, diversity and inclusion, human rights, LGBT + rights and anti-human trafficking. He is an emerging scholar and commentator with expertise in LGBTQIA + rights within the domestic and international legal framework, with a particular interest in international criminal law. He has a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Political Science and Sociology) from the University of Waikato. He has also studied human rights at the Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, and international law more generally, at the world’s preeminent international legal institute, The Hague Academy of International Law, The Netherlands. He has also completed non-degree coursework on international criminal law at Florida State University, United States of America.