Oral History Interview with Indira

DESCRIPTION
Content note: description of transphobia, racism, murder

Indira Rahman shares memories of growing up in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and moving to the United States for higher education. They narrate experiences of evolving family relations and moving around while not putting down roots. In the United States, Indira encounters a long history of racism and describes their re-encounter with a changed United States during the Trump regime. Indira dwells on experiences of their shifting positionality as they move from a privileged position in Bangladesh to an outsider in American society. Indira recounts memories of exploring their sexuality in Bangladesh, particularly within heteronormative liberal sectors of Bangladeshi society.

They reflect on the pandemic, further exploring sexuality and gender presentation in the U.S. and finding the language of queer politics to narrate their experiences. Indira delves into the complex feelings of societal rejection, difficulties forming queer friendships and community, learning to acknowledge traumas and healing, discomfort with diaspora communities, and emotional turmoil of dealing with the immigration system. Indira also narrates experiences of dealing with the murders of LGBT+ activists and bloggers in Bangladesh. This oral history takes us close to one Bangladeshi non-binary migrant’s journey as an asylum seeker and queer intellectual.

THEMES
Gender & Sexuality

AUDIO
Duration: 02:18:06

ADDITIONAL METADATA
Date: March 6, 2021
Subject(s): Indira Rahman
Type: Oral History
Source: Archival Creators Fellowship Program
Creator: Efadul Huq
Location: Lancaster,

PROVENANCE
Collection: Efadul Huq Fellowship Project
Item History: 2021-07-09 (created); 2024-05-26 (modified)

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