August 12th 2023.
Performance artist Reeta Loi knows what it's like to hide their identity. "It's exhausting and terrible for your mental health," they say. Growing up, they were unable to be themselves in both queer and Asian spaces. After an experience of losing their family when they came out, they were inspired to help others in similar situations.
"Unfortunately, loss of family and culture is still common in our community and something we live in fear of," Reeta explains. "It can become a very isolating experience."
In 2017, Reeta founded Gaysians, a volunteer-led movement to connect queer Asians, increase positive media visibility and improve access to support services. They are proud of how far the community has come in terms of representation.
"We don't have enough people like me in queer spaces," says drag artist Lucky Roy Singh. "Drag line-ups are often all-white, particularly in cabaret. That's what makes this event so important and historic."
The Queer Asian Takeover, co-curated by Lucky, will take place at this year's Manchester Pride and will feature over 22 performers and collectives, from DJ Gok Wan to The Bitten Peach, the UK's first queer pan-Asian and gender diverse cabaret collective.
"The Bitten Peach was my debut into London's queer scene," says singer-songwriter and model Jason Kwan. He left Hong Kong as a teen, in a bid to escape queerphobia, but was met with racism in the UK.
"In Hong Kong, I'd never experienced racism as a minority," he explains. "People didn't like me talking about being Asian, and my culture was parodied or appropriated, which made me want to hide my Asianness."
The Bitten Peach helps not only budding performers, but also those facing family opposition to entering the arts.
Reeta's own show, The Remedy, is about their journey of self-discovery and healing. They recently reconnected with their family of origin, which meant adapting the show's ending.
At events such as the Queer Asian Takeover, we are celebrating and elevating the art, experiences and stories of marginalised queer people. This is more important than ever, to help combat the discrimination the community continues to face.
Performance artist Reeta Loi remembers a time where it felt like they couldn't be themselves anywhere. "Imagine having to hide such important parts of yourself all the time," they say. "It's exhausting – and terrible for your mental health."
After losing their family when they came out, Reeta was inspired to help others in similar situations. "Unfortunately, loss of family and culture is still common in our community and something we live in fear of," they explain. "If we do lose family or choose to leave, like I did, it can become a very isolating experience."
Reeta, who performs under the name of RAIN, founded Gaysians in 2017. The volunteer-led movement was designed to connect queer Asians, increase positive media visibility and improve access to support services.
"We've come a long way since we didn't see versions of ourselves in the media or nightlife or on the street," Reeta says. "We're more visible now and I'm immensely proud. As recently as a decade ago you didn't see queer South Asians on screen or in clubs. We've worked extremely hard to mainstream our narratives and it's incredible seeing where we are today."
Lucky Roy Singh is one of the star turns at Manchester Pride later this month, as part of the event's Queer Asian Takeover. Singh is the house mother to the House of Spice, an collective of drag performers of Asian, Middle Eastern and North African heritage. Co-curated with local activities and performers, the event will centre queer Asian joy, showcasing over 22 performers and collectives, including Val The Brown Queen, Gracie T, Club Zindagi and headliner DJ Gok Wan.
Celebrating and elevating the art, experiences and stories of marginalised queer people is more crucial than ever, to help combat the very real discrimination the community continues to face both in the UK and abroad. Jason Kwan, singer-songwriter and model, left Hong Kong as a teen in a bid to escape prejudices against the LGBTQ+ community. However, he was sadly met with a different type of discrimination when first arriving in the UK.
In response, Jason co-directed The Bitten Peach, the UK’s first queer pan-Asian and gender diverse cabaret collective. Since launching in 2019, it has hosted over 70 shows, platforming over 70 artists and selling over 3000 tickets. Jason explains, "The Bitten Peach was my debut into London’s queer scene. We connect people to mentors and help them speak to people of similar experiences. Our research found that the biggest barrier to entering the arts for young east and southeast Asians is their parents not wanting them to."
Reeta, who is also the star of "The Remedy" – a show about healing and finding happiness – has more recently been reconnecting with their family of origin. "I realised this meant I would need to adapt its ending," they explain. "My show is about embracing every part of ourselves, even the parts we’ve been taught to reject or hide."
The Queer Asian Takeover is a reminder that every one of us matters, and proof that the community is carving out their own spaces. With support, solidarity and visibility, the LGBTQ+ and Asian communities are on the rise.
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