Telling the Stories of Our Brown Bodies
When it comes to talking about sex in the South Asian diaspora, it can feel like the taboo of all taboos — which is probably why it’s taken me this long to get this newsletter going! It’s been on my mind a whole while.
I don’t know about you but it often feels like you’re putting your reputation, family name and prospects on the line just by uttering that tiny, singular syllable word, s-e-x.
Yet we are all impacted by it — whether we’re actually having sex or not isn’t the point — it’s so central to our lives. Not only does it affect our love lives, it plays an important role in our confidence and the way we carry ourselves in the world, our careers, our interactions with our communities, our relationships with ourselves, with our parents and our family, and our relationship with God, faith and spirituality. And I just don’t think we’re talking about it enough!
So, what are you going to write about?
Listen, I don’t know about you but I have a hard time finding culturally sensitive, accessible, fact checked stories and resources written by and for the South Asian community — so this is me trying to do my part to change some of that.
I will be interviewing some incredible South Asians, from writers and actors to professors and supermodels, on their experiences with love and sex. We’re going to learn a load on this journey — I will be chatting to therapists, sex educators, religious scholars and community leaders — about religion, culture, history and immigration have shaped our views. Plus the occasional guide, tips, and more.
To be honest, I don’t really know where this will go but these are my intentions. I see this newsletter as the start of building a community and a knowledge base and then let’s just see where it takes us.
Who is this for?
If you find my words help you, touch you or intrigue you, you’re welcome here.
I started this for the South Asian diaspora. Wikipedia says, “a diaspora is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin.” Basically, if you get asked, “where are you from, from?” This is for you.
As I’ve already been asked about religion, know that I’m going to try cover voices and knowledge from as many as I can but will primarily focus on the Big Five: Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity.
Are you worried?
Yeah, I’m shit scared. Of course I am! I am an (half) Indian, Muslim woman talking about sex. My mum’s going to read this! I’m also, by trade (whatever that means), a tech person so Lord knows why I’m doing this…Except for I know I needed this and still need this.
With that said, I approach this in good faith and I hope that you will too. I’m learning. I will be learning alongside you. And I will make mistakes.
But I also am going to have fun and a lot of laughs along the way. I’m going to speak to people with incredible stories and life experience — a total privilege — and I am going to enjoy that.
Can I subscribe?
Yes, yes you can!
The free tier
will ensure you never miss a newsletter. I’m going to keep as much free as possible — at the end of the day, this is about accessibility.
The paid tier
I could tell you all the benefits of subscribing to this (which I will do in a sec) but the honest truth of it is that for me to do this newsletter justice, I need to dedicate two days a week to it. For me to do this longterm, this needs to be (to some extent, anyway) a sustainable venture.
I need your help to ensure I can continue to write on this topic; platform the voices and experiences of South Asians; and keep this free for as many people as possible for as long as possible (ideally, forever). So, if you can afford to, I’d love it if you’d consider supporting my writing by becoming a paying subscriber.
A year’s subscription is £50, which works out at £0.94 a week — half the cost of an Alphonso mango! Or you can subscribe monthly for £5.
In Return:
Invites to live events
If they’re in person, there will always be an option to join remotely.
Access to remote Q&As with experts
There will always be an option to remain anonymous
Discounts to my favourite brands (coming soon)
And more to come
There is also an annual founding membership option for my Day Ones — those who truly believe in this project and can afford to support me upfront.
In Return:
All of the above
A monthly Recommended Reads roundup
Access to exclusive events with very special guests
Access to longer versions of Q&As
An hour of my time — This is mostly useful for tech and startup people!
Can I share this with my friends?
Erm, yes please! I’d love that.
Can I get involved?
If you know someone who you think I should interview, you want to sponsor an issue or anything else, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a note!
OK I think that’s all that out of the way. Let’s do this. Bismillah.
