Pamila Matharu in Conversation with Janine Marchessault
Toronto-based artist Pamila Matharu was invited to intervene in the Archival Intimacies project. Active since the early 1990s in Toronto, she has been a key organizer for South Asian and BIPOC cultural communities, including serving on the 1995 Desh Pardesh committee.
Interviews with Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla and Sanjay Chhugani
In 2002, Los Angeles-based writer and Satrang member Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla released his first book, Ode to Lata, which drew from his own experience as an Kenyan-Indian immigrant to the US, his relationship to the community formed at Satrang, and as a response to what he had not found in similar literature. The protagonist, Ali, is a banker by day and denizen of Los Angeles’ clubs by night.
Interviews with Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla, Sanjay Chhugani, and Manoj Kumar
Interviews with Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla, Sanjay Chhugani, and Manoj Kumar accompanying an Archival Intimacies exhibit about the history of Satrang. This selection of documents, photographs, invite cards, and recordings showcases the affective relationships formed through Satrang events and the community they fostered.
Interviews with Sanjay Chhugani and Manoj Kumar
Pride March has long been a part of queer community organizing and visibility. Many South Asian queer organizations across the USA have been a part of this effort, including Satrang. This section highlights organizing efforts, coalition building with other Asian American groups, and resource sharing.
Interview with Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla
Like many other queer communities, HIV/AIDS support and activism was a focus of the South Asian community. Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla of Satrang partnered with Zulfikar Surani of Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT) to lead outreach on safe sex and HIV prevention and education programs in the community.
Interviews with D’Lo, Alicia Virani, and Rashmi Choksey
Interviews with D’Lo, Alicia Virani, and Rashmi Choksey about the Coming Out/Coming Home workshop, which took place at the Southern California Library in 2008. It was led by D’Lo, a trans Tamil Sri Lankan writer who is active in community building, arts, and activism in New York and Los Angeles. For many Satrang members, this workshop was a transformative moment.
Interviews with Rashmi Choksey and Manoj Kumar
These recordings and accompanying materials mark two moments in Satrang’s evolution as an organization. The first, in 2008, is when the organization conducted a needs assessment in collaboration with South Asian Network (SAN) as a fiscal sponsor.
Interview with Alicia Virani
In this audio, Alicia Virani discusses the formation of Satrang's Youth Group, which specifically focused on 18-35 year old queer South Asians. This marked the start of Satrang’s meeting the needs of a new generation, many of whom were born in the USA rather than being first generation immigrants, and who have different vocabularies and political leanings.
Interviews with Supriya Bharadwaj, Alicia Virani, Rayman Mathoda, and Avantika Shahi
These interviews chart the evolution of Satrang and other South Asian queer communities to include their families and queer families with children. According to Supriya, Family Day, established in 2017, marks the moment when Satrang moved away from a focus on individual needs to a focus on the broader community.
Interview with Satrang Board Members
In this interview, the current board of Satrang reflect on the past, present and future of the organization. They express the importance of “meeting the community where it is at” through hosting events and creating safe spaces for the diverse members of the community. They also discuss the need for new systems of support and care, especially necessitated by the pandemic.