‘Can You Really Be a Queer Muslim?’: Intersectionality and the Complexity of Identity
‘A Veil is Simply One Form of Worship’: Reflecting on Faith and Femininity as a Christian Woman
Growing up, the church I attended regularly required women and girls who had taken their first Holy Communion to veil during services. They couldn't be removed until the final lines of the service were spoken. I wasn't a huge fan of having to cover my hair while the men were able to stay as they pleased. I sometimes wondered if it was a cultural difference – my family's church is Indian while other churches I visited were predominantly white…
From Appropriation to Appreciation to Acknowledgement: How to Respectfully Engage with Other Cultures
Elements of my South Asian culture that I was teased for growing up have become a part of the mainstream. I see fashion, yoga practice, chai spices, meditation, mindfulness and hair oils all bandied around as new ideas and new trends as if they haven’t been passed down through the generations of my family. Often, those adopting these practices have no understanding or acknowledgement of the rich history from which such practices have come…
‘Black Because She is not White’: Navigating the Complexity of a Mixed-Race Identity
She grew up in a mostly white town. Her mother, who moved them there when she was six, wanted a ‘better’ life. At school her White friends would laugh when she ‘axed’ questions, so now she makes sure to ‘ask’ them. To this day, she corrects herself. As she adopts the ‘White’ behaviours of her friends it alienates her from her family. Why do you act like you’re white? I can’t believe you listen to rock music. You’re such a Malteser: White on the inside, Black on the outside…
‘Class is an Extremely Complicated Subject’: Growing Up Working-Class and Why My Upward Mobility Makes Me Not Want Children
I’m not even sure if children are something I’ll want. And maybe the fact that the idea of my children having more privilege or advantage than I did does not fill me with joy is a sign that I shouldn’t have them. My socio-economic beliefs and politics are so passionate that the thought of having children who are removed from that experience, who never have to scrimp and avoid any form of waste, repels me…
‘Jacqueline Wilson was My First Special Interest’: Reflecting on My Childhood as a Woman with a Late-Stage Autism Diagnosis
I saw myself in those books. Particularly in the main characters: girls who were quiet, shy and lonely, yet bright, creative and thoughtful. Girls who struggled socially yet thrived in the complex world of their imaginations. Girls who were quirky, who often did things that others didn’t understand, who had hobbies and interests that weren’t like other kids. These girls were ‘different’ to other girls their age. I myself was ‘different’…
Pushing Past Homophobia and Islamophobia to Find Queer Muslim Joy
I grew up (and still present) visibly Muslim. I have worn a hijab for longer than I can remember, and over the years I found a style that I felt expressed me best. Regardless, I am still made to feel a little out of place when I’m the only hijabi who turned up to the queer meet-up (it’s quite funny to see some people perplexed). This also means a lot of people assume feminine pronouns for me, even if my bio clearly states something else…
Being a Working-Class Woman at Oxford University and Why It Does Matter Where You Come From
Competition is high, and the work culture is unhealthy. All of that is difficult to deal with, but all of it is reasonably expected. The issue at hand is that, on top of the academic adjustment that all students have to undergo, working-class students, specifically working-class women, have to undergo an entire additional social and cultural scathing…
‘God, You’re Not One of Those Feminists, Are You?’: The Filthiest Word in England
I’ve had many a derogatory phrase thrown my way – whore, slut, slag, bimbo. Sometimes guys can even get a little creative. Harlot. Wench. Strumpet. I’ve been called a conniving little bitch, two shags short of a prostitute. But when men really want to hit a girl where it hurts – or, at least, where they think it hurts – they start throwing the ‘f’ word around…
‘Who Could I Be?’: Growing into Your Power as a Multi-Dimensional Woman
In my life, I have been many women. An ex-boyfriend once told me that based on my friendships it seemed like I had multiple personalities. He was only scratching the surface. Ask yourself: what is a mood or a personality? Isn’t a personality just an extended version of a mood? And why is it okay to have many moods but not many facets to your personality? Why do we forever feel pressured to conform to normality, to palatability?
How My Disability and Queerness Intersect, and Why Marginalised Communities Should Unite and Fight
Both the disabled and LGBTQ+ community have been facing inequality for decades. Even though there are more forms of representation and a bigger collective voice, serious issues are still being ignored and we still lack representation in larger bodies such as political landscapes and corporate groups. One way we combat this is by banding together…
‘According To Some Documents, I Don’t Exist’: Embracing a Queer Identity That Doesn’t Tick Boxes
Most of the time, I feel like our society is making progress: we learn more about ourselves every day and slowly become more comfortable with LGBTQIA+ identities. Then I’ll be handed a form to fill out, my eyes will scan the identifying terms from which I am to choose, and I am reminded that some still seem very uncomfortable with identities that fall outside of LGBT…
‘Man, I Feel Like a Human!’: How Coming Out As Non-Binary Made Me a Better Feminist
I can now see more plainly the gatekeeping that can happen when trans folks want to dive into the personhood they know is theirs, and yet are sometimes told or made to feel as though they’re somehow lacking. Womanhood can be a wonderful, equalising thing – so why are we wasting time denying it to human beings who know who they are? Isn’t womanhood diverse and wonderful enough to allow its ranks to swell beyond the ideas of yesteryear?
Why I Am Done Being an ‘Inspiring’ Disabled Person
Recognising what I cannot do because of and what I can do despite my disability enables me to see how my disability affects me. In turn, it allows me to see what I am capable of as a result of my disability. I am capable of things that do not come easily to neurotypicals…
‘Weird, but Proud’: Why Netflix’s Wednesday is a Big Deal for Autistic Girls
A real-life Wednesday Addams, with unorthodox habits, dark interests, gothic fashion, monotone expression and poor understanding of others’ feelings, would most likely mask herself to resemble her peers. This is where Burton’s new character became so important for autistic people, especially women; she doesn’t…
(Un)Settling In: Building a Home Away from Home as a Foreign Student
Graduating as a foreign student and settling in as a new immigrant is a unique transition experience. One has the opportunity to carefully construct a future yet embrace the challenges that come with being away from home. I can describe this journey as being aboard two boats with one leg in each. The expectations, values and dreams from home sail parallel to the hope, joy and excitement for a new land…
‘Palestinian is an Ethnicity, Not a Political Statement’: Coming-of-age as a Palestinian in Diaspora
There comes a sense of separation from our physical environment. Through our blood, we inherit love and care for our country, but we are born into a space where people hardly know what Palestine is. To care so passionately for a struggle that we cannot interact with while being surrounded by people who know nothing about it is frustrating and isolating. From this stems feelings of guilt. Being submerged in a world that cares little about the Palestinian struggle can feel like an act of betrayal…
‘Feminism Isn’t Feminism Unless It’s Intersectional and Representational’: How Japanese Literature Reignited my Feminist Flame
Some people think that because we had a female prime minister and it’s generally frowned upon to catcall, we live in a post-feminist era. A worrying number of people seem to agree women are more equal than they were before (yes, in some parts of the world) and so feminism is no longer a pressing issue. Immersing myself in the world of contemporary Japanese women helped me realise just how far we have to go to achieve genuine equality for women everywhere…
‘I Celebrate the Tapestry of Places that have Made Me Who I Am’: The Highs and Lows of Being a Third Culture Kid
I had spent my childhood learning how to mould myself into the most acceptable, most unassuming version of myself. Underneath the people-pleasing and the desire to fit in, I had no idea who I was. So much of my Indian identity had been buried away under shame and resentment, and I looked at any American tendency I had with contempt. Meanwhile, every influence from China felt like something that I didn’t have the right to claim…