The United Nations Human Rights Office unveiled its latest weapon in the fight against homophobia: a Bollywood-style video called “The Welcome.” The two-and-a-half-minute clip features two handsome heroes dressed in many shades of velvet on the eve of their unorthodox nuptial celebrations. But will daadi-ma approve? You’ll have to watch and find out! The video is the attempt by the UN Free & Equal campaign to challenge negative stereotypes of lesbian, gay,

Photos by Gerald Hurt

How lucky are we to get a personalized birthday shout out from UK’s supreme drag diva—Asifa Lahore!? Asifa’s been getting major media buzz lately with her new Tum Hi Ho video and for being banned from engaging in a debate about being gay and Muslim on BBC’s show “Free Speech” which took place at Birmingham Central Mosque. Thank you, Asifa, for the wishes and for bringing visibility and a bit of

British drag artist Asifa Lahore is on a mission to increase LGBT desi visibility  with the release of  “Tum Hi Ho”.  The video features Asifa’s cover of Tum Hi Ho (You’re The One) from the Bollywood film Aashiqui 2 with vignettes of queer desi couples finding love in the face of adversity—and includes our favorite cutie from Toronto, Shazad Hai. Asifa explains, “After using my previous music videos as parodies to focus

New York-based photographer and visual artist Braden Summers has been glope hopping to create sumptuous, staged photographs representing romantic gay couples. He was inspired to create the series when working on a photo project in Paris. In the process, he was struck by the fact that the romantic imagery in art, fashion, photography and popular culture is overwhelmingy hetero. He points out, “When thinking of iconic romance, ask yourself if any imagery (paintings, photographs,

On Saturday, February, 8th, SALGA (The South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association) will be holding their second annual Family Support and Resources event. Through dialogue, stories, and sharing of resources from parents, siblings, LGBTQ members and allies, this space will create a powerful opening towards greater acceptance and understanding, and unconditional love for LGBTQ members within the South Asian community at-large. If you would like to invite your family members to

In the wake of yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling effectively re-criminalizing homosexuality, these excerpts from Roy Wadia’s piece, about his brother the late Riyad Wadia, filmmaker and LGBT activist, have more resonance than ever before. Riyad was once at the vanguard of change of a new India. This year marks Riyad’s tenth death anniversary. Read the moving full article here.