We’re recovering from another epic pride weekend in NYC!  On Friday night, we partied it up with almost 600 other Sholay partygoers until 4:30 AM at Pachita, with the SALGA dancers prepping their Pride performance at Midnight.  Then, on Sunday, we marched with SALGA down 5th Avenue, on a float designed and conceived by Atif and SALGA folks Muzam and Tariq, with music by Ashu Rai and dancing by the

Posted: July 3rd, 2013

On June 15, 2013 Sholay Productions  and Asifa Lahore launched their first London party titled “Bollywood Central” at Halfway II Heaven. The party had all the elements of Desilicious with stunning performances by Asifa Lahore, mujra by Tanisa Khan, hip shaking by Rezzia Irani and Silver Summers. Lotus Visual provided an amazing array of Bollywood visuals that created a cinematic experience for everyone. Topping it all were the beats of DJ

Posted: July 1st, 2013

Our Toronto friend (and Sholay Dancer) Shazad Hai shares his pride diet which includes a healthy dose of self esteem and common sense. Shazad is the MSM Outreach Coordinator at the Alliance of South Asians AIDS Prevention (ASAAP) in Toronto. He discusses his own body images and how he worked to overcome these issues and fears – very inspiring!

Posted: June 25th, 2013

Check out the recent report on NY1, featuring SALGA and Sarah Kurian, which highlights the struggle for immigration rights within the LGBT community. The NY1 report notes that groups like SALGA (South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association) and Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY) and QWave have been working for immigration reform, as well as safety.

Posted: June 25th, 2013

With NYC pride kicking off, read the latest Paper Magazine interview with Justin Vivian Bond on Pride and “being an arrogant feminist”. We can relate to Justin’s comparison of Manhattan Pride today vs. SF Pride in 1989 (my first Pride), where “..you marched and at the end, everybody was there together and there was a show or whatever.” The march from Castro and Market to the Civic Center would end

Posted: June 18th, 2013

A recent Mother Jones article highlights findings from a Pew Research Center study of gay tolerance in 39 countries where Pakistan appeared as the least tolerant nation (with 2% approval). The article also notes that Pakistan also ranks “second in the world (after similarly gay-intolerant Kenya) for volume of searches for the search term ‘gay sex pics.’” Very interesting, but not surprising, and that a majority of searches orginate, not

Posted: June 17th, 2013

Be sure to check out this fab show at Clamp Art in Chelsea – “NYC C. 1985″ with some wonderful shots of New York City in the mid-1980s. The show is influenced by the newly-released portrait book by Jeannette Montgomery Barron, “Scene“, which showcases the creative, artistic and eclectic energy of that decade. The cozy Clamp Art exhibition also features exclusive photos taken by one of our faves, Linda Simpson.

Posted: June 14th, 2013

Celebrate Pride and support the Astrea Foundation this Saturday, June 15th at Gowanus Loft in Brooklyn. The party will feature a special performance by Arooj Aftab. Find out more below and here: EVENT DETAILS Saturday June 15, 2013 Gowanus Loft 61 9th Street, Loft C8 | Brooklyn, NY 11215 | Venue is wheelchair accessible. 8 pm–9:30 pm Tickets $50/$75/$100 Performance by Arooj Aftab! Open Bar & Hors D’oeuvres 9:30 pm–1

Posted: June 14th, 2013