Celebrating indigenous queer identities with Shaneel Lal

16/01/2023 59 min Temporada 3 Episodio 1
Celebrating indigenous queer identities with Shaneel Lal

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Episode Synopsis

Shaneel Lal (they/them) is a prominent activist and political commentator who sits at the intersection of Aotearoa New Zealand’s BIPOC and queer communities. They are a fierce advocate for ending conversion therapy and in February 2022, their efforts resulted in legislation being passed that bans the practice in New Zealand.In our conversation, we cover: Growing up queer in Fiji and how that informed Shaneel’s advocacy later onThe impact of colonisation on queer communities in FijiColonial queerness vs indigenous queerness, and how colonisation stripped away indigenous queer identitiesTheir journey to self-acceptance of their queer identityTheir conversion therapy experienceWhy successfully getting conversation therapy banned in Aotearoa was not their most joyful moment (and what really brings them joy in their activism)You can follow Shaneel on Instagram, Twitter, and their column for The New Zealand Herald.Remember to  rate and share this show, as well as follow along on Instagram. Reach out to me on [email protected] if you want to share your story - I would love to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.