The Pride Issue by Overachiever Magazine

With articles on... Celebrating pride month Netflix’s The Half of It Clean Beauty Products

Featuring Interviews with... Pallavi Rajan Maya the Drag Queen Dandee Lyon DJ SZNäina

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note Dear OM readers, The Pride Issue is finally here! Over the past month, our Instagram feed has been dominated by the achievements, status of, and work by LGBTQ+ Asians - primarily in the West. As much as they deserve to be celebrated, and as wholly as we adore and support them, for the purpose of this note I want to shift our focus east, back to Asia. Where homosexuality is legal in only 28 out of 49 states - barely half. And adoption of a child by a same-sex couple is legal in only 2 out of 49 countries. People who identify as LGBTQ+ are protected from discrimination in a stunning 9 out of 49 countries. As important as it is to focus on challenges and victories in the west, we cannot do so while ignoring the countries we come from. We must remember the privilege we hold, and use it to make a change. This issue is not going to singlehandedly alter the beliefs of a continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of governing bodies, but it is a start. The start, maybe, of remembering that these homophobic and transphobic beliefs have not been part of our history longer than colonization has. Happy Pride! Yours, Rehana Paul Founder, Editor-in-Chief

Importance of

Altitude Express v. Zarda Written by Ashley Chen

Ashley Chen is the political columnist for Overachiever Magazine. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an undergraduate student from New York majoring in Political Science. Her activism is centered upon voter education and civic engagement. Her other areas of interest would include educational equity, reproductive rights, gentrification, climate change and the list goes on. In her free time, she loves to watch films and create collages. INSTAGRAM: @ash.leyyyy On a national scale, we are experiencing one of the toughest moments in history. %XW ZH PXVW DOVR UHĹśHFW XSRQ WKH DFKLHYHPHQWV PDGH ZLWKLQ WKH SDVW PRQWK 2Q Monday, June 15, the Supreme Court made a landmark 6-3 decision in the case of Altitude Express v. Zarda (2020) ruling that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The facts of the case are as follows: In 2010, a gay man named Donald Zarda worked as a skydiving instructor at Altitude Express. He revealed his sexual orientation to the female client in an attempt to alleviate any concerns with regards to having a male instructor given that there is close contact in skydiving. After the skydiving trip, the female client accused Zarda of sexually harassing her and claimed that Zarda used his sexual orientation as an excuse to perform such actions. Zarda was LPPHGLDWHO\ ĹľUHG WR ZKLFK KH ĹľOHG D ODZVXLW DJDLQVW WKH FRPSDQ\ FODLPLQJ WKDW KLV termination was on the basis of his sexual orientation. In this case, the Justices had to answer whether sexual orientation is covered in Title VII, which protects employees from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Given that Title VII never explicitly states sexual orientation as one of the domains of protection, the Justices had to interpret if sexual orientation was included in the phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;because of â&#x20AC;Ś sexâ&#x20AC;? (Express v. Zarda, 2020). With Justice Neil Gorsuch writing the majority opinion, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Zarda claiming that Title VII protects individuals from sexual orientation and/or gender identity-based discrimination. They argued that sexual orientation and/or gender identity-based discrimination would require the employer to treat WKH LQGLYLGXDO GLIIHUHQWO\ EDVHG RQ WKHLU VH[ ĹľUVW DQG IRUHPRVW ZKLFK LV PRVW FHUtainly covered in Title VII. Dissenters included Justices Alito, Kavanaugh, and Thomas. They claimed that sexual orientation and/or gender identity-based discrimination is not protected in Title VII, and interpretations that it does is far from what legislators had in mind.

-XVWLFH .DYDQDXJK FODLPHG WKDW VXFK LQWHUSUHWDWLRQV ZHUH PDGH WR ĹľW WKH FLUFXPstances of the present day. This particular argument is indicative of the traditionalist ideals of conservative-leaning Justices and their desire to remain stagnant. Nevertheless, this decision was a huge win for the LGBTQ+ community as these proWHFWLRQV JUDQWHG WR FLVJHQGHU KHWHURVH[XDO LQGLYLGXDOV ZHUH ĹľQDOO\ DSSOLHG WR WKHP On behalf of the Overachiever Magazine staff, we are thrilled that our fellow Asian $PHULFDQ 3DFLĹľF Islander LGBTQ+ folx will be able to obtain jobs without the fear of being discriminated against. We will always stand in solidarity with you. The struggles and experiences of Asian American 3DFLĹľF ,VODQGHU LGBTQ+ folx are still a discussion topic that many of our communities shy away from. According to a Philanthropy Outlook infographic, â&#x20AC;&#x153;As of March 2015, LGBTQ AAPI individuals experience unemployment at twice the U.S. national rateâ&#x20AC;? (â&#x20AC;&#x153;LGBTQ Asian Americanâ&#x20AC;Ś,â&#x20AC;? 2015, p. 1). This is an alarming indicator of the discriminatory behavior perpetrated by employers. These are the conversations that need to be pushed to the forefront. With this decision, we can only hope those unemployment rates will decrease. In addition, this decision reĹśHFWV WKH EHJLQQLQJ VWHSV WRZDUGV WKH GLUHFWLRQ RI TXHHU DQG WUDQVJHQGHU OLEeration. There is still so much work that needs to be done to reach that point, EXW ZH PXVW SDXVH DQG UHĹśHFW XSRQ WKH JUDYLW\ RI WKLV PRPHQW LQ KLVWRU\ )RU WKRVH ZKR PD\ EH H[SHULHQFLQJ ZRUNSODFH GLVFULPLQDWLRQ DQG ZDQW WR ĹľOH FKDUJHV SOHDVH YLVLW WKH 8 6 (TXDO (PSOR\PHQW 2SSRUWXQLW\ &RPPLVVLRQĹ&#x152;V ZHEVLWH here for more information. In 2014, the petitioner, in this case, Donald Zarda, passed away from a base-jumping accident. We owe this landmark decision to him and other pioneers in the LGBTQ+ community who have fought tirelessly for another layer of protection to be applied to their community.

Ask Aunty E Written By Aunty E

Dear Aunty E, Recently, I was explaining to my Indian mom about Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community. She started passing snide comments such as: “Oh yeah, those abnormal people.” I don’t know how őĩ ġÁėä ĂäŅ ŖĢàäŅŉőÁĢàͥͥ ©Ăű Ćŉ őĂĆŉ ŉĩ àĆƆÚŖěőͧ How can I help her try to support these communiőĆäŉ ġĩŅä ÁĢà Ģĩő Ùä ŉĩ ĔŖàúäġäĢőÁěͧ Sincerely, Shakesqueer Dear Shakesqueer, Ahh, the quintessential case of a strict, conservative, and culturally bound Asian mother. To give you my take on it, early generations are unequivocally accustomed to the traditional values and religious/cultural norms they’ve grown up with. Many of our parents, especially those of SouthäÁŉő ŉĆÁĢ ÙÁÚėúŅĩŖĢàŉ͡ ÁŅä ƈŅġ ÙäěĆäŪäŅŉ őĂÁő LGBTQ people promote a repulsive and abnormal relationship between two partners of the same gender. In fact, same-sex marriage wasn’t legalized in the U.S. until 2015 and still remains illegal in most Asian countries such as South Korea and India. With this historical and cultural context in mind, it’s arguably natural for our parents to instinctively voice their opinions against homosexuality, transgenderism, and other LGBTQ rights. In reality, they’re simply unaware of what it is to be criticized and discriminated against for being one’s true self. Hő ŉĂĩŖěà Ùä äġłĂÁŉĆŹäà őĂÁő ĂÁŪĆĢú Á àĆƅäŅäĢő ŉäŰŖÁě ĩŅĆäĢőÁőĆĩĢ ŉĂĩŖěà Ģĩő äŰÚěŖàä LGBTQ members from being treated with respect!! Obviously, trying to sway your parent’s opinions and changing their mentality is easier said than àĩĢä͡ ÙŖő őĂä ƈŅŉő ŉőäł ūĩŖěà Ùä őĩ őŅű őĩ ÚĂÁĢúä őĂäĆŅ ÚĩġġĩĢ ġĆŉÚĩĢÚäłőĆĩĢŉ ÁÙĩŖő ūĂÁő ŅĆàä Month entails and what LGBTQ means. You can try to make your parents realize that the rumors and negative perceptions they’re accustomed to are false myths. Here is a great list of resources from GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) where you can learn more about the community and pass them along to your parents. Sincerely, Aunty E

Dear Aunty E, I’ve been in previous sexual relationships with only men, but I don’t think I would mind having a sexual relationship with a woman. I have been attracted to women before, but I cannot 100% say that it’s sexual. I mean, it’s the same kind of attraction I feel towards a man, but it automatically turns into a sexual attraction in my head. I think that society has conditioned our minds in a way that if a ūĩġÁĢ ƈĢàŉ Á ġÁĢ ÁőőŅÁÚőĆŪä͡ ĆőΎŉ ŉäŰŖÁě ÁőőŅÁÚőĆĩĢ͡ ÙŖő Ćù ŉĂäΎŉ ÁőőŅÁÚőäà őĩ Á ūĩġÁĢ͡ ŉĂä Ģääàŉ őĩ ńŖäŉőĆĩĢ ĂäŅ ĩŅĆäĢőÁőĆĩĢ͠ Ģà ŅĆúĂő Ģĩū͡ HΎġ ńŖäŉőĆĩĢĆĢú ġĆĢäͥ H ĔŖŉő ƈĢà Ćő ūäĆŅà ÙäÚÁŖŉä Ćù űĩŖ ěĆėä someone, you like someone, right? How would I know if I’m truly bisexual or not? Any thoughts, Aunty E?? Sincerely, Bi Cutie Pie

Dear Bi Cutie Pie, ÚÚĩŅàĆĢú őĩ őĂĆŉ ĂäěłùŖě ŅäŉĩŖŅÚä͡ ŖĢàäŅŉőÁĢàĆĢú űĩŖŅ ŉäŰŖÁě łŅäùäŅäĢÚäŉ ÁĢà ƈĢàĆĢú Á ΍ěÁÙäěΎ őĂÁő ƈőŉ Ùäŉő ūĆőĂ Ăĩū űĩŖ ĆàäĢőĆùű ÚÁĢ őÁėä őĆġä͠ HĢ ĩőĂäŅ ūĩŅàŉ͡ ĆőΎŉ Úĩġłěäőäěű ĢĩŅġÁě ùĩŅ űĩŖ őĩ ÚĩĢstantly be questioning your orientation and there’s by no means any pressure for you to abide by ŉĩÚĆäőÁě ĢĩŅġŉ ÁĢà őŅű őĩ ƈő ūĆőĂĆĢ Á ÚäŅőÁĆĢ ġĩěà͠ To help answer your question, Bisexuals aren’t simply tied to one form of attraction. They can fall in love with a person, regardless of gender. The person, a Bisexual individual, falls in love with is much more than what gender they identify with. Also, Bisexual people don’t need to have sexual experiences in order to be considered bisexual, so it’s typical to identify as bisexual without being involved in a sexual relationship with a woman. You raise a good point by saying that there’s this common misconception that when a woman is attracted to a man, it’s considered sexual attraction, but when she’s attracted to a woman, she needs to reclassify her orientation. My advice to you is to stay true to the concept of falling in love with someone who you truly admire, regardless of whether it’s a man or woman. Don’t try őĩ ÚĩĢƈĢä űĩŖŅŉäěù into certain molds or societal expectations because love is love!! Sincerely, Aunty E

Artist: Devika Bahadur // @db_artartist Medium- oil painting

Art Roundup

“What to do with cherry blossoms” by Cat Arisa March First, you pluck as many pink buds as can fill your pinafore pockets. in the bowl of your hands they are so soft Second, you float the blooms in cold water in a little brown ceramic bowl that should drown all the insects you do not want in your tea Third, you boil the flowers till they curl in on themselves and shrivel like cropped umbilical cords bleeding cherry-dark into the kettle Fourth, you let the little dog hop at the base of the smaller trees to fill her mouth with blooms. she too understands— they taste so sweet Fifth, you live far from me in Maryland and each spring you write, oh, the cherry blossoms are out— oh, the well-aged trees line up like debutantes by the riverside, those pastel branches so rich with flowers that they stoop to grace the cool waters with tiny petal-boats and kiss their own reflections— Sixth, the tea is ready so you pour the steaming water from the kettle into the painted teapot and you sip together the pretty, pretty blood

“Lips” by Fareen Sha

Interview with Dandee Lyon Written By J. Faith Malicdem

Photos by Henry Dyson

J. Faith Malicdem is a freshman studying journalism at Emerson College and is Overachiever’s Outreach Manager. She is also the creator and curator of the PieFace Column. Aside from writing, Faith has many creative endeavors, including film photography and music-making. She hopes to further media coverage on mental health as well as music and the arts. INSTAGRAM: @johannafaith THE PIEFACE COLUMN: https://www.piefacecolumn.com/

In the third grade, I found myself sitting next to a reserved, sweet boy with boxy glasses and a strained grin. He’d accompany me to the monkey bars at recess every day and insisted on keeping me company as I waited in line at the cafeteria despite him already having brought a packed lunch all ready for him to eat. In all honesty, I thought he might have had a crush on me—being the self-centered nine-year-old I was—but little did I know, that little boy would grow up to embody the persona of Dandee Lyon, a drag queen I admire massively, and a dear friend I depend on to this day. In light of Pride month and OverachieväŅ `ÁúÁŹĆĢäΎŉ ŅĆàä ĆŉŉŖä͡ H ƈúŖŅäà Uĩsiah Sun, the mastermind behind Dandee Lyon, would be a perfect interview subject to highlight, so I reached out to him about the idea, to which he responded with, “OMG FAITH!!! I WOULD BE LIKE SO TOTALLY HONORED AND AM DOWN!” So, the next day, we planned to chat over FaceTime, and before I knew it, giggles and shrieks of excitement occułĆäà őĂä ƈŅŉő ùäū ġĆĢŖőäŉ ĩù őĂä ŪĩĆÚä memo recording I had rolling.

Josiah Sun (he/him/his) was born and currently resides in Pasadena, California, where he studies music with a vocal concentration at Pasadena City College. He is half Chinese, quarter Scottish, and quarter German. He is a part of the LGBTQ+ community and likes to sew and watch “Bob’s Burgers” and “Pose” in his free time when he isn’t personifying the masterpiece that is Dandee Lyon. “Wow, this is a big one,” Josiah said in response to my question about where the name ‘Dandee Lyon’ had come from. He aimed to create a name that sounded real but was also meaningùŖě͠ ΋©ĂäĢ H ƈŅŉő ŉőÁŅőäà àĩĆĢú àŅÁú͡ I was very inspired by the women of the ‘50s, and I was watching American Horror Story: Freak Show at the time. I saw all these beautiful women with huge skirts and tiny little waists and thought, ‘wow, that could be me.’ I wanted it to sound very ‘50s and feminine, and at the time I thought add ing two e’s would make a name sound more feminine, but now that I think about it, it’s actually ‘i.e.,’ so, you know, I’m like Billie Holiday but with two e’s!” He erupted with laughter. “When my sister and I were younger, we would always go outside and help my dad pick out the weeds. We’d always pick at the dandelions and blow on them to make a wish.” Josiah took a big breath, and started to defend dandelions with all his might, “My dad would always call them weeds, but I just thought they were so beautiful. Listen, they blossom and have a bud. ĂäűΎŅä ƉĩūäŅŉͥΌ “I looked up the symbolism behind dandelions, and apparently they signify hard times and struggles. As a little gay kid battling depression, I was shocked at how the internet could attack me like that!” Josiah then further explained his early knowledge of drag. “In around ninth grade, I saw one of those Truth company ads about the repercussions of smoking. It showcased a group of drag queens talking about how they would lose their beautiful attributes if they were to continue smoking. One of the queens, Trixie Mattel, popped onscreen ÁĢà ŉőÁŅőěäà ġä͠ ĂäΎŉ ĔŖŉő őĂä őäŰőÙĩĩė àäƈĢĆőĆĩĢ ĩù Á àŅÁú ńŖääĢ͠ űäÁŅ ěÁőäŅ͡ ŉĂä łĩłłäà Ŗł ĩĢ ġű ŉĩÚĆÁě ġäàĆÁ ÁúÁĆĢ͡ ÁĢà H ƈĢÁěěű ěĩĩėäà ĂäŅ Ŗł͠ H ùĩŖĢà Á ūĂĩěä ĂĆààäĢ ŉŖÙÚŖěőŖŅä in the gay community. That subculture being drag, of course.” On June 26 of 2018, Josiah had just come home from a youth group choir event. It was around őĂä őĆġä Ăä ūÁŉ őŅűĆĢú őĩ Úĩġä Ŗł ūĆőĂ Á àŅÁú ĢÁġä͠ DĆŉ ĩěàäŅ ŉĆŉőäŅ ĂÁà ĩƅäŅäà őĩ ěäő ĂĆġ borrow some lipstick, which was when he started dipping his toes into makeup.

DäΎà ūÁőÚĂ àŅÁú ńŖääĢ ġÁėäŖł őŖőĩŅĆÁěŉ ÁĢà äŰłäŅĆġäĢő ūĆőĂ àĆƅäŅäĢő őäÚĂĢĆńŖäŉ͠ ΋Hù űĩŖ put blush at the tip of your nose, it makes it look like a cute little bulb!” he gushed. “When I came out, I was very young. Obviously, at school like, did I really come out? Everyone was like ‘that’s ancient history, we been knew,” Josiah shared. “My mom always knew, and my family is very supportive of my drag, and I’m very lucky to have such a family.” Drag as we know it today originated from transgender women who were kicked out of their homes, so they would form communities for all those who were disowned and, in turn, needed some love, according to Josiah. “That being said, to this day, I’ll do drag really late at night because my dad still doesn’t know.” “I never experienced the whole, Asian-family-super-religious-and-conservative trope, despite me going to a Methodist church, which to be fair, is very pro-LGBTQ+ and progressive overall. I never experienced hardship with religion. I always thought, ‘why can’t I do both [drag and attend church?’ and well, I am doing both!” said Josiah. Despite Josiah’s friends, family, and church community being very supportive of his identity and drag, the biggest hurdle is still his dad. He isn’t as secretive about his identity as he once was. “Everything’s out on the table… Why keep it to yourself if someone else can learn from it?” Josiah resolved. Mainstream drag predominantly consists of Latinx, Black and White queens. On “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the face of mainstream drag, there have been just ten Asian drag queens who have competed out of the 140 contestants. However, according to Jae Thomas’s “Asian Drag Queens Sashay Out of the Shadows,” Asian drag communities such as Bubble T, a monthly queer dance party, the growth of Asian visibility in the drag community has bolstered. “Isn’t it every young queen’s dream to be on ‘Drag Race’ and make a name for themselves? But I really just want to be able to make a livĆĢú ĩƅ ĩù Ćő ÁĢà ÚĩĢĢäÚő ūĆőĂ ĩőĂäŅ ńŖääĢŉ ÁĢà audiences through it,” Josiah admitted. “If you’re a drag queen, it’s your responsibility to make your voice heard for the lesser person. If you have a voice and a following, it’s your responsibility to speak up for those who can’t. That is essentially how pride came to be.” You can check out Dandee Lyon’s Instagram here. For information on how you can support transgender rights and safety, click here.

The Chutzpah by Anupama Bahadur

A riot of colours wrapped in hues, Flocking the human streets, Marginalized communities, Embarking for their rights.. Striving ahead, Struggling for social acceptance, Enduring the discrimination, With their strong will and determination.. Parading afloat the Mardi Gras, Marching to the tunes offbeat, Settling an eye for the critique, Overlooking the misunderstandings with their feat.. Screeching for justice and legal rights, Requesting for acceptance worldwide, Nonchalance perpetuating solidarity and brotherhood, The pride marches ahead Head held high, Feeling proud of their existence In this non existential world...

Artist: Molly B

Art Roundup

Interview with DJ SZNäina

Written By Camilla “CXCX Chu Chu” Bjørner

Camilla (aka. CXCX Chu Chu) is a Danish born part-Chinese writer whose main writing outlet lies in hip hop as a form of self-expression. Wanting to amplify the voices of Asian women in music, she also writes for Overachiever Magazine as a music columnist and occasional reviewer. Find her on Instagram: @cxcxoffical Spotify: CXCX Chu Chu

So glad we have the chance to interview you for Overachiever Magazine. Here, we are really all about empowering and voicing all Asian women along with their experiences. We are so proud to have you with us as a DJ and entrepreneur in your own right. Can you tell us DERXW RQH RI WKH GHŵQLQJ HYHQWV LQ \RXU MRXUQH\ DV D PXVLFLDQ" Thank you for this opportunity! Love the mission of empowering Asian women voices. One RI WKH PRVW GHŵQLQJ HYHQWV LQ P\ MRXUQH\ DV D PXVLFLDQ ZDV WKH ŵUVW WLPH , SOD\HG DW D FOXE ,W ZDV P\ ŵUVW JLJ ZKHUH SHRSOH ZHUH DFWXDOO\ FRPLQJ WR GDQFH , KDG DERXW RQH ZHHN QRWLFH ,W ZDV DOVR P\ ŵUVW %ROO\ZRRG JLJ , VWD\HG XS DOO ZHHN WU\LQJ WR ŵJXUH RXW KRZ , FRXOG UHPL[ P\ UHFHQW VXQGRZQHU ('0 PL[HV ZLWK %ROO\ZRRG PXVLF %XW IRONV KDG IXQŊWKHUH ZDV VR PXFK HQHUJ\ ,W JDYH PH WKH FRQŵGHQFH LQ P\VHOI WKDW , KDG D XQLTXH style for folks to enjoy and dance to.

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Interview with Ma the Drag Queen Written by Charlotte Drummond

Maya is a drag queen from Kerala and to be a drag queen in Indian society takes a lot of guts, confidence and determination. Maya has been performing as an Indian drag queen since Sept 2014. Her first performance was at The Humming Tree, Bangalore and continues to perform regularly at Kitty Ko, Bangalore. Her ideals are to fight against inequality, towards individualism, gender equality and feminism. Along with that, she loves to act, sing, dance and entertain people. Charlotte Drummond is a part of Overachiever Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Editorial and Outreach teams. She is an Indian-American student and writer from Los Angeles, California. She is currently attending Emerson College, and studying Writing, Literature and Publishing. At the moment, she is working for multiple on-campus publications as a part of their writing and copyediting teams. In her free time, she loves reading, taking pictures of plants, getting emo over female singer-songwriters, and hanging out with her dog. INSTAGRAM: @charlotte.drummond

aya

Introduce yourself! I am Alex Mathew, aka Maya the Drag Queen. I am out and proud queer cis man who has been performing as an Indian drag queen since 2014. I am currently working as an artist manager and residing in Bangalore, India.

How did you know you wanted to become a performer/be involved in theatre? And how did you know you wanted to do drag? The moment when my Mom made me watch The Sound of Music & My Fair Lady. The moment that I happened to hear Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You.” I knew then that I would be a performer/involved in theatre. I didn’t have the privilege to experience theatre arts. I had to seek it and search for it in cities where the theatre scene was open and ready to accept newcomers. I found that in the cities of Hyderabad and Bangalore. But, it was when I was in Bangalore City, that I realized that I wasn’t getting accepted because of my feminine demeanor and not having a neutral accent. Hence, I felt stagnated for the theatre roles given to me. I felt like I had to pause and do some introspection. I started watching movies. I came across this brilliant movie known as Mrs. Doubtfire. I was like if Robin Willams can do drag, I can do drag too! With that, I did more research, and I came across Dame Edna in the UK and RuPaul in the US. The whole universe was opened to me, where I came to know different types of drag as an art form.

What do you consider your biggest accomplishment so far? My ability to connect to children and make them understand that we are human beings like them, after all. I was able to perform in front of children in a school in Bangalore around 2016. That’s the biggest accomplishment so far.

I absolutely adore all of the pieces you put together for Maya. What inspires your outfits, makeup looks, color schemes, etc.? My inspiration is from all the genderfluid people out there. It’s from divas of the world. Inspiration is all around me. All I need to do is observe and apply it in my life.

Describe a typical performance for Maya (or perhaps talk about how you make every performance unique?) A typical performance for Maya is very thought-provoking. I could easily be like any other drag queen. But, I chose to educate people about the LGBTQIA+ community through my performances. I use storytelling as technique. Mix it with pop songs and make it my own. People say parody of pop songs. I would say inspiring forms of pop songs.

What do you find the most fulfilling about your career and your art? What is the most challenging? My most fulfilling thing about my career and my art was the adrenaline rush that I longed for. People search it in alcohol, recreational drugs, etc. But it’s satisfying for me through my art form. The most challenging is to fight against homophobia and transphobia. It’s evil. It’s a mental disease. At times, I wonder whether I need to be a doctor to cure people of such sickness. However, love is the cure.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Asian womxn in the LGBTQ+ community today? Patriarchy that seeped its roots into the society. Internalized racism that dictates our bodies and our lives. No access to sex education is causing harm to Asian womxn. There are more. But, these are glaring monsters at the moment.

You are also an open advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and openly express your passion for individualism. What advice would you give other LGBTQ+ Asians? Stand strong. Don’t listen to what others dictate about your lives. You are who you are. Believe in that. Love yourself fierce. Listen to other queer people’s stories. Find out what’s inspiring and connect to it. Whenever you are ready, share your story, for there will be another queer person who finds you inspiring.

What does Pride mean to you?

“Pride, for me, means that I can breathe knowing that my sexuality and gender belongs to me. I am able to express myself and say my story out and loud. It’s freedom ultimately. Pride is a protest. Pride is intersectional. It’s all over our herstory.”

What’s next for you? Any exciting new projects? With lockdown, I do what comes my way. Right now, I am trying to complete a web series where I talk about the LGBTQ+ community in India. I am trying hard. I hope I finish soon. Among all the fun and frolic we are continuously dealing with things that aren’t great with the LGBT community in India. Coming out of the closet, discrimination and harassment at workplaces and public spaces and marriage equality to name a few. While we wait for minds of the people to look at us with an open mind, we’ve got each other’s backs and have to help and grow as a community.

Inte

erview with Pallavi Rajan Written by Anishi Patel

Anishi Patel is freelance journalist and writer based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. INSTAGRAM: @anishi.patel

On June 6th, organizers Pallavi Rajan, Purvi Rajan, Amber Lee, and Ian Pitman, in partnership with San Jose State’s Black Honors Society, hosted a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Cupertino, California. The predominantly Asian and white-dominated Bay Area city is home to diversity in thought, especially generational ones amongst immigrant families. I myself have noticed a difference in beliefs in my own home and on community-oriented social media groups, where residents have both come together and argued over the BLM movement and local protests. Though I had not known Pallavi Rajan previously, some of the negative discussion regarding her protest on one such community-oriented social media site, Nextdoor, led me to reach out and talk to her. I felt that her insights as a young South Asian ally ought to reach a larger audience. The following interview with Pallavi Rajan, a second year at the University of California Irvine, has been edited for conciseness and clarity.

Tell me about your history of activism .I’m hesitant to fully call myself an activist just because I am definitely still learning. I’m really lucky to have been raised in a home where we really value things like feminism and equality, so I’ve always been instilled with those ideas. But I’m still pretty new to speaking out about things or organizing things. I’ve been going to women’s marches for the last several years, or since they really began to take off after the Trump election. I also participated in my high school’s walkout on gun safety after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland. Those have been the big ones that I’ve openly supported and gone out to, but I think that the best I have been able to do is educate myself and educate those around me. My sister and I are learning how to keep our family more accountable, how to keep each other more accountable.

I know that in a lot of South Asian homes, our parents might hold different beliefs than we do, so sometimes tough conversations need to be had. Is that something that you’ve encountered in your own family dynamic? My family is myself, my sister, who is three years younger than me, and then our parents, our mom, and our dad. We’ve been extremely lucky in that our parents are very open-minded, very liberal; they’ve always taught us to value lives and to value justice and equality. But in our extended family, and I think that this is a common experience for a lot of South Asian or general Asian American families, there’s a culture of not talking about things. So many of my aunts and uncles — I love them, I respect them, we’re very close to them—but I have no idea what their opinions are on a lot of social justice issues.

“There seems to be a culture of not really touching things and not really talking about them, so in the last few years as well as these last couple weeks, we’ve been trying to engage our extended family in more conversations. Mostly, they’ve been very receptive and very caring, but there have been a couple instances where something has rubbed me the wrong way, and I’ve reached out to a family member and been able to have a productive conversation about it. I think that is very encouraging, and it gives me a lot of hope for what we can do as first-generation Americans. We can speak to the elders in our families and get these conversations going.

What difficulties did you face during the planning process? The whole process of organizing this protest was tight, it was very short notice, things were happening all over the country, and we wanted to do something in our hometown. We had less than a week to plan it all, and I wish that we’d had more time to really focus and amplify black voices because that’s something I think we missed the mark on a little bit. As allies, it’s our responsibility to amplify their voices, but given the time and resources we had, we weren’t able to be there as a support to them. Instead, it ended up being a protest that we organized, and where we invited black speakers, which was very powerful, but that’s not the goal for allies. Our role should not be to invite them in, it should be to amplify the structure that they’ve already built.

As much as we were selling this thing as an allies/solidarity movement, this is about Black Lives Matter at the end of the day. I was worried that it would come off in the wrong way, but I hope that we were able to send out the message we intended to: as much as we’re focusing this on our demographic, this isn’t about us.

There are those who consider the protests in Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Cupertino, or other nearby wealthy suburban towns that are mostly white or Asian in demographic, pointless, or even patronizing. How would you respond to these reservations? As a wealthy community, or also just as a privileged group, we tend to value data and numbers and science over personal experiences, anecdotes, and testimonials. As much as we might be thinking about this in terms of ‘here are the communities with higher black populations, here’s where this theoretically makes the best impact,’ it’s important to remember that we have black people living in our communities as well, no matter how small that percentage might be. We need to be there for the black folks who live in our communities. For anyone who thinks that protests in non-black areas are pointless, we have to remember that there is still anti-blackness to combat and issues that can be untangled.

How did you make the leap from “hey, we don’t have a protest” to “hey, I should host this thing”? Were you afraid to tie your name to it? We started off by spreading around a little screenshot that my sister had typed up in her Notes app, saying ‘Protest in front of Cupertino sheriff’s office. June 6th. 4 p.m. Wear masks. Be safe, be peaceful.’ Initially, we were a little afraid to tie our names to it, just because of the climate and the frankly ridiculous way that the police were responding to peaceful protests across the country. We spread this around in the hopes that it would be a natural, organic gathering, but people started asking us questions about the authenticity of the protest. We realized there were a lot of fake protests going around, often spread by white supremacist groups. Over the course of a day and a half, we decided that if we wanted to do this, we needed to take charge properly. That’s when we reached out to our other organizers, and from there, we were entrenched in it. I personally am happy we did it and put our names out there because that’s what using our privilege means. We are at less risk having our names tied to this than if a black person were to organize this, and in that sense, it was really important for us to be the ones receiving the questions and pushback because we have the privilege to not be fearing for our lives.

Did you work with the Cupertino city police while planning the protest? Not at all. It was really important for us to not get a permit from the city police, to not work with them at all, because that’s so against everything that we were protesting. It would feel disingenuous to cooperate. I was contacted by them; they asked if there was anything they could do, or if they could block off the roads. I politely declined. We were able to say what we needed to say with no antagonism on both sides.

A lot of members in our community on sites like Nextdoor were very vocal about their worry for local businesses and the possibility of looting in response to this protest. What would you say to that? The negativity on Nextdoor really just proves my point that this protest was so necessary in our community, but I want to separate the misinformation from the negativity. At the end of the day, to the people who were fighting so fiercely against a movement like this, I would say, ‘You need to examine why you’re so incensed about this protest and not the fact that black people are being murdered every day. Have some perspective.’ We shouldn’t be telling black people how to protest; that’s not our place. Saying things like, ‘That kind of stuff doesn’t happen here,’ or ‘Don’t bring this into our community,’ well, why isn’t it already here? Why aren’t we already talking about Black Lives Matter? Before marching to the sheriff’s office, the Cupertino protestors listened to speeches given by black community members. Tell me about the impact of these speeches. We were blown away by the speakers — they were so powerful. It was good to hear from them and contextualize why we were there because there was an air of, “Oh, we haven’t been out since quarantine.” It was helpful to ground people: this was not a block party; it was not a parade. It was the folks who live in and around our community who are telling us about their daily lives, and we needed to sit and listen. We had a pair of brothers who went to high school with me giving speeches, and one of my friends’ aunts, who is a mom of two black boys and has spoken at many protests. Her words were very powerful. There was a 14-year-old girl who was just so hopeless and so sad about the state of the world, and that was heartbreaking. She really didn’t see any solution; she had just kind of accepted that this was her life and her place in the world. As allies, the movement has no place for our hopelessness, but to see it from a young black girl was heartbreaking.

Now that the protest is over, do you have any final reflections or thoughts you’d like to share? We were not expecting that many people. We planned for 300, maybe. Instead, somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 showed up. It was very powerful to see the community come out. I wasn’t expecting this of Cupertino. I think that this is a very, very tiny first step in a long, long journey, and we need to keep this momentum going. We need to keep having these conversations. We all have a sphere of influence and a set of friends and family that value our words. If each of us can extend this awareness and commitment to being good allies, it can spread far. It’s up to each of us individually to call out family members, have those tough conversations, donate, sign petitions, and be active allies. We can’t just let this die down in a couple weeks. I don’t know if I or any of my fellow organizers have plans to organize another big event like this, but I’m open to it. But at this point, I think it’s up to each individual person to carry the movement forward.

Artist: Ashley Huang Website: AshleyHuang.com

A Letter to the South Asian Community Written By Akanksha Jain

Akanksha Jain is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. She is currently preparing to apply to medical school and enjoys writing about social issues, especially about mental health. When not studying or writing, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading, listening to music, and occasionally even dancing. She also loves watching Bollywood movies in her spare time. IG: @akanksha_ jain24 To my entire fellow South Asian community, 2020 has not been a kind year for us. We are in the midst of a global pandemic that is threatening the health and safety of the entire world. Black people still fear for their lives, and we are still working as a society to defend their most basic human rights. And recently, our community woke up to the crushing news that one of India’s finest Bollywood actors, Sushant Singh Rajput, is dead…most likely due to suicide. This heart-wrenching tragedy is a wake-up call to all of us. We are all trying to protect ourselves physically by social distancing and washing our hands, but we often forget that protecting ourselves mentally and emotionally is just as critical. Our brains release neurotransmitters and hormones which regulate everything in our body, from our heart rate and breathing to our appetite and sleep patterns. We cannot function physically if we are suffering mentally. And in such tense and tumultuous times, we need to acknowledge that struggling with mental health is a real feat, and can be devastating when ignored. Unfortunately, within the South Asian community, mental health is often not recognized or valued. Many members of our community either refuse to believe that mental health conditions can be serious obstacles for one to deal with, or may even victim blame. For example, they may blame one’s anxiety or depression on things like spending too much time on their phone or being too “sensitive.” This is a common sentiment that the late-night host and YouTuber Lilly Singh actually created a video on it called “Brown Parents Don’t Believe in Therapy.” Unfortunately, getting help isn’t as easy as just asserting yourself and telling your family you want therapy, as the video suggests. Many high school and college-aged students live with their parents and are financially dependent on them. Even those who live independently may fear disappointing their parents,

especially since family ties are often considered sacred in South Asian cultures. Furthermore, even with family support, people might still be ostracized by other members of their community for admitting that they have a mental health condition. Therefore, the only way to help people get the care they need is to shatter the negativity and stigma wrongly associated with mental health.

Mental health conditions are afflictions, not reflections. Conditions like depression and anxiety do not reflect a person’s self-worth, personality, or capability. They are certainly not a result of weakness, laziness, or a lack of intelligence, which are all myths often perpetuated by many of our peers and elders. These are medical conditions and can affect anyone, regardless of lifestyle, socioeconomic class, education, or other factors. However, these myths are the foundational basis for the stigmatization of people who seek help for their mental health, especially within the South Asian community. Most of us come from communalist cultures, where our self-esteem is often predicated on others’ opinions of us. Therefore, if we continue to correlate mental health issues with negative stereotypes (weakness, craziness, incapability), then fear of judgment will be a major deterrent to people admitting they need help or obtaining care. This can lead to devastating consequences. The only way to prevent this is to constantly remind ourselves of two things: 1) Mental health conditions are afflictions, not reflections, and 2) Getting help is a sign of strength and perseverance, not a sign of weakness or shame. One more key thing before moving on: many of us have heard some variation of this in the past, but just in case it didn’t sink in the first (or millionth) time: telling someone with a mental health issue to “get over it and move on” is the equivalent of telling someone with severe COVID-19 to just get over it and breathe normally. It is insulting and unacceptable to say such a thing. Finally, we need to check ourselves in the language that we use. I often hear parents and peers interchangeably using the words depression and sadness or anxiety and nervousness. They are not the same things. Sadness and nervousness are states of mind; they are provoked by certain situations and will eventually subside. Depression and anxiety, however, are states of being. They are prolonged, extremely disruptive

periods of either hopelessness and lack of joy (in the case of depression) or panic (in the case of anxiety). The most important part is that these conditions are involuntary. They are not necessarily triggered by anything; they can just happen. If we don’t understand the nuances of these different terms, we remain incapable of recognizing the warning signs of conditions such as depression and anxiety, which means we run the risk of trivializing or ignoring people who may desperately need someone for support.

Obviously, there are many other problems with the way our world handles mental health. There is a lack of resources, lack of therapists, tendencies to overmedicate, not to mention the horrendously steep costs of care. But the prerequisite to fixing any of these issues is to admit that mental health and mental illnesses are things that must be addressed. Changing attitudes and perspectives can take time, but we can start by taking small, baby steps! Educate yourself by reading up on the warning signs of depression and anxiety (listed below), and continue to check in on your loved ones during and beyond this difficult time. In the words of a song from Chhichhore, one of Sushant Singh Rajput’s final films: “Khairiyat poochho, kabhi to kaifiyat pooccho,” which translates to “ask someone about their well-being and their situation.” (watch the song here). For those who are battling anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues, please remember that help is out there! Stay strong, believe in yourself, and reach out. Here are some resources and hotlines to help: · SAMHSA National Helpline: 18006624357 (United States) o Website: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline · National Suicide Prevention Helpline: 1-800-273-8255 (United States) o Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ o Text: TALK to 741741 · List of Mental Health/Suicide Hotlines in India to call: https://thelivelovelaughfoundation.org/helpline.html For those wanting to learn more about mental health issues and warning signs of anxiety and depression: · The Live, Love, Laugh Foundation: https://thelivelovelaughfoundation.org/index.html o Started by Deepika Padukone and run by her sister Anisha Padukone to advocate for mental health issues! o Accepts donations as well to help with mental health causes in India · To learn more about Major Depressive Disorder (signs, symptoms, when to seek help): o https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/ syc-20356007 · To learn more about anxiety disorders (signs, symptoms, when to seek help): o https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc20350961 · List of mental health advocacy groups/organizations in the U.S.: o https://www.verywellmind.com/leading-mental-health-charities-and-organizations-4147842

“Unceremonial” by Cat Arisa March in this gown I cannot run— only wooden duck shuffle shoeless or with sandals. I walk wounded in this ceremonial kimono. a silk coffin an iron cocoon silk chafes a textured whisper I whisper back a conversation this inner ear fabric seashell pink I know this language sweat creeps down the crease in my legs. I inhale obi stiff seated on a plastic chair in the honeytrickle heat I catch mybody in a nearby window this crimson mouth these clasped hands this robe a garden all cherry bloom ancestral grace I hike folds of fabric to my waist over the toilet and pray the crisp bow behind my back stays three-dimensional makes me sit pretty a small gentle biped with albatross wings those wide peach horizon sleeves mother says obachan must be laughing from the heavens at all the safety pins hidden in the folds of her old kimono and at the black yarn Jessie braided tight around my ribcage I listen for laughing rosy hem around my ankles laughing silver bird trill laughing discordant unceremonial sweetness the two of us tied together in one kimono obachan’s ghost and I laughing laughing laughing till it hurts oh it hurts how do you cackle in this thing—

Artist: Kani Min

Artist: Ann Soong

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Excavating Memo

Website: kat

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tiechung.com

Celebrating Pride Month Written By Chau Tang

Chau Tang is a Beauty Columnist for Overachiever Magazine. She graduated from Cleveland State in May 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and a minor in Marketing. She loves to read about beauty, news, and political issues. Other than writing, she enjoys reading, watching Netflix, boxing, hiking, and photography. She wants to write about beauty, news, arts and entertainment and political issues. She also enjoys listening to podcasts about various topics like politics and true crime. A couple of fun facts: She was born and raised in Cleveland, can speak English, Vietnamese and a bit of Mandarin Chinese. She’s an only child and is an avid video gamer. June is pride month. It’s a month to not be afraid of being yourself. At least, that’s how I see it. Because we celebrate pride in June, I feel more comfortable with wearing LGBTQ+ accessories. Even if it weren’t June, I’d still wear it. It’s the time to remember that you’re not alone. A lot of people are still afraid to show their true colors because of all the hate in this world. All anyone wants is to grow old with someone they love. People view LGBTQ+ relationships as abnormal, but the way I see it, it’s just celebrating love with someone you care about. All they want to do is hold their hand and be with them in public. They don’t want to be afraid. It’s society that’s making them feel like they’re not normal when they are. Their feelings are valid. How I celebrate is watching LGBTQ+ movies, playing video games, and listening to songs! It makes my heart all warm instead. LGBTQ+ movies are great to watch with family and friends! It’s like a supportive group where you don’t have to walk on eggshells. Life is Strange is a series that I’ve played on Playstation. It’s a great game, especially Life is Strange: Before The Storm. It showcases the relationship between Chloe Price and Rachel. Chloe Price can be described as a rebel, and Rachel is the perfect, beautiful popular girl in school. Their relationship was formed when Rachel stood up for Chloe in a fight at a concert. One day, they skipped school and went on a journey, and things really started heating up when they were on a train, having intimate conversations. I was shocked that Chloe liked Rachel in that way, but I was here for it! It wasn’t sexualized, but it was so pure and cute how they liked each other. Along with Life is Strange, I cannot stop watching Love, Simon. It’s about Simon falling for a guy he met online. Truth is, they haven’t met yet, and neither of them were out. Simon was blackmailed by an acquaintance. Simon’s blackmailer, Martin Addison, threatens to tell everyone that Simon is gay if he doesn’t help Martin get his crush, Abby Suso, to like him back. Watching the movie gets my emotions riled up. No one should be outed by anyone. People will come out on their own time, not on your time. There’s a specific scene after Simon came

out, and his mom was really supportive of him. “You are still you, Simon.” That’s very true. No matter your sexual identity, you are still the same person. People want to make you feel different, but you’re still the wonderful human brought into this earth. People tend to forget, so encourage them to remember. It’s a movie that normalizes intimate feelings for another human being, and it’s very lovely. It’s just sad and depressing that not everyone has that kind of support system, and it really messes up your mentality. Although I love watching LGBTQ+ content, I also love listening to queer artists because it makes me super happy and excited about love for some reason. If you don’t know “Lesbian Jesus,” it’s time you get acquainted with her. “Lesbian Jesus” is a nickname fans would describe Hayley Kiyoko. Her songs will get you in a dancing mood. Before I go on a date or talk to a girl, Hayley’s songs will get me pumped up and instill confidence in myself. Plus, Hayley is a style icon. Whenever I need style inspiration, I always look up to Hayley. I love buying LGBTQ+ content for accessories, especially pins! I do have a gaysian pin that is sold by Queer Asian Social Club, and I like to wear it on my black hat! I love supporting small businesses that are LGBTQ+ to show my support! Yes, pride is a celebration, but it’s also a remembrance that the first pride was a riot. LGBTQ+ individuals always had to fight for their rights for society to normalize their relationships because it’s simple. It’s people in love with each other, but people like to restrict others and would only allow them to live how they think you’re supposed to live. We’re always taught to love each other and be kind, but so many people are hypocrites. These days, people are divided, especially when it comes down to Black Lives Matter versus All Lives Matter. Then someone had said, “If all lives matter, what about LGBTQ+ black lives? Do they matter too?” There were some people who said they don’t condone LGBTQ+ lifestyle. The fact that people think that being LGBTQ+ is a lifestyle is disgraceful. Humans have emotions. We know how we feel when we’re in love. We will not walk through life lying to people about who we love. So what if people are in a same-sex relationship? Feelings don’t just change in an instant. LGBTQ+ relationships are normal. Just like heterosexual couples— but lots of people will beg to differ. We can’t force anyone to change their minds but can do our best to educate people and let them know it is okay to be an LGBTQ+ individual. People love to live in a traditional mindset, but we need to be in a world where we promote love and equality. Even though laws prohibit people from firing someone who identifies as LGBTQ+, it’s the society we live in, the people and their standards, that we need to forever resist. There’s so much we have to fight for because, sadly, there will always be people who will try to tear you down. Don’t let that happen. People won’t accept what they don’t understand. I don’t believe people will truly understand what it’s like to be LGBTQ+ unless they’re in the shoes of someone in the gay community. If you have an LGBTQ+ friend, family member, co-worker, etc. Let them know they are valid and that you love them. It’s always sweet when people spread positive vibes.

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