To end our podcast journey, we invite a trained Indian Classical Vocalist who has been singing and performing Kirtan since the age of 9 years. His talent was recognized in the Sikh Community in April 2010 where his music and chanting started being celebrated by the community all over the world. He is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher and aspiring to bring awareness around LGBTQI in the South Asian community by creating QUEERKIRTAN to heal together with the wounded. Tune in to hear how Gurnimit Singh has transformed his life using Kirtan as his healing medicine.

We speak with Khushi, also known as Bad Shah, Canada's first Bollywood drag king. Khushi shares her journey as an international student from Mumbai to Victoria, BC, and how she found drag as an outlet to cope with the move. Her drag persona, Bad Shah, has become an icon among the South Asian LGBTQ+ community, making history by bringing representation and breaking barriers. Tune in to learn what it takes to be a solo Bollywood drag king amidst the popular queens. 

 We speak with Bianca Maieli who is a DJ/Producer born and raised in Los Angeles. She has both South Indian and Caribbean Colombian roots and uses her multiple identities to create her unique music sounds. She has worked with notable clients such as Nike, Spotify, Adidas & Samsung. Bianca Maieli represents a global dance sound, and has been making waves internationally. She is one of the co-founders of No-Nazar, a creative collective of South Asians DJs in LA, whose aim is to bring various cultures onto the dance floor. We speak with her about the joys and struggles of being a full-time DJ, No Nazar's story, and her wedding video that went viral on the internet gathering over 3 million views on YouTube. 

We speak with Agata Matyszczuk who works for Coast Mountain Bus Company as a transit operator and was the LGBTQ+ rep with her union UNIFOR. She was also elected to the BC Regional LGBTQ+ committee representing all BC locals. With this work, she helped organize the Pride float in Vancouver Pride and marched in many prides across BC through her union. Agata was also part of the first LGBTQ+ group to march in the Vasaikhi parade with UNIFOR. Join us to learn about Agata's advocacy work, love story, and for a special surprise towards the end to celebrate pride!

Sher Lotus is a peer support group for queer & trans women, non-binary, and two-spirited people. Agata & Jag Nagra founded this group (previously known as Sher Feline) in 2018. Join us for our monthly Sher Lotus events to meet these two lovely humans!

We sit with two trailblazers who are paving the way for queer Asian excellence in Vancouver. Van Dang is a gender-fluid, queer, Asian revolutionist who founded Ricecake in 2018 when they saw a lack of safe spaces for queer Asians. Bella, part DJ, part Event Producer, and part of the non-binary revolution, joined forces with Van as the house DJ. Together, with their combined expertise they bring you Vancouver's only Asian party. Ricecake is Vancouver’s year-round, non-stop celebration of Queer and Asian Pride. From Drag Dim Sum, to Songkran, to Phulkari, these cultural events are the safe spaces that queer folks didn't know they needed. Tune in to learn more about Ricecake and how our queer Asian siblings are building their own safe havens.

We speak with Finn Liu, a high school transgender Chinese student who is on a mission to spread awareness and inclusion for trans-identifying individuals within the Asian community. Currently in the 11th grade, Finn is heavily involved in and out of school and in extra-curriculars defying a typical high school student's schedule. Finn's resiliency and driven attitude is what got him selected to speak at TEDx Surrey 2023 as the youngest speaker. Tune in to learn how we can break down barriers and work towards better trans inclusion in our community. 

We speak with Surrey-based queer filmmaker and floral designer, Ritesh Matlani. Born and raised in Dubai, Ritesh shares with us his journey into filmmaking in Canada and his immigration struggles as an international student. Ritesh's films center around immigration, queerness, and BIPOC voices. Join us to learn about Ritesh's path into living an authentic life.

We speak with Sameer Ismail, president of Vancouver Friends For Life Society, a holistic wellness centre that provides many services to help people who face the challenges of HIV/AIDS, and other serious illnesses. Our intention is to educate and inform, because knowledge conquers fear. Join us to learn important factual information about HIV, and let's help end HIV stigma and discrimination within our community. 

Here are some of the HIV resources mentioned in this episode
1. https://getakit.ca/
2. https://www.readytoknow.ca/
3. https://www.cbrc.net/
4. https://www.catie.ca/catieca
5. http://www.bccdc.ca/
6.  http://www.bcwomens.ca/our-services/specialized-services/oak-tree-clinic
7. https://jrc.providencehealthcare.org/
8. https://spectrum-health.net/

We speak with Annie Ohana, a proud public-school educator and Indigenous Department Head at LA Matheson Secondary. She is an Anti Oppression Curriculum Specialist and a devoted community activist. Annie founded and directs Mustang Justice, an Anti Oppression and Justice oriented youth service Leadership group, which is now in its 10th year. If you feel you want to agitate and organize our current societal state, this episode is for you!

In this episode we discuss many terms. Here are the definitions for your reference

• GSA - Gay, Straight Alliance or Gender Sexuality Alliance. Found mainly in Secondary schools and Post-Secondary Institutions
• Groomer - a denigrating term that claims that 2SLGBTQIA+ people are pedophiles/ molesters
• Pansexual - being attracted to all people regardless of gender identity or sex
• SOGI - Sexual Orientation Gender Inclusion. SOGI is part of the BC curriculum

We speak with Saattvic, an equal rights activist and currently one of the petitioners before the Delhi High Court seeking the legalization of same-sex marriage in India.  We discuss Bollywood, love, coming out, and learn from an economist's point of view the importance of LGBTQIA+ folks to remain in their home country. 

We are back for Season 2 and are starting off with a banger. For our first episode, we sit and chat with two Bollywood Queens from Punjab, India. Jolene Queen Sloan and Ra are making history in Vancouver as they are bringing in representation of drag in the South Asian LGBTQ+ community.  Join us as we learn what it takes to be a Queen beyond the glitz and glamour, what drag means to each of them, and the hustle behind their beautiful art performance.

In our final episode for Season 1, we have the privilege to sit down with two supportive and fearless moms who are strong advocates of their LGBTQ+ child.  Neelam is Angit’s mom who we have had on the podcast, and Rajwant is Jag Nagra’s mom.  We learn about their experience and journey  when finding out their child is queer. These two loving moms share their raw, unfiltered stories with us.  We have special appearances on this episode for our audience. You don't want to miss this one!

We speak with Jason Pillay, a queer Indo-Fijian who has made his mark in the Vancouver Fashion scene. Jason Pillay is his own brand and he shares his hustle journey of attending fashion school to becoming a well-known stylist in Vancouver who got to style Ashanti in her latest movie! He has worked on many sets in Vancouver’s Hollywood and beyond. Jason’s unique approach to style has graced countless red carpets, movie sets, and TV networks, influencing the next wave of fashion trends. Tune in to learn what it takes to be a fashion stylist here in Vancouver. 

In our ninth episode, we sit down with the unapologetic and poetic Guntaj Deep Singh. Born and raised in Punjab, India, Guntaj Deep Singh is a Vancouver based, self-taught queer artist who nourishes his imagination through his passion for fusing art and poetry. He was one of the artists who painted a beautiful Punjab mural in the Punjabi Market on Main Street. Join us as we dive deep with Guntaj and learn about his creative inspirations and his upcoming projects.

In our eighth episode, we speak with Angit & Joshna who are happily married and on a mission to bring hope, and the much-needed and valued representation for QTBIPOC folks. These two have recently shared their queer story on their Instagram page @Sukarsuu. Angit is a queer Punjabi Sikh woman who is working on providing representation for Queer Sikhs and Joshna identifies as a queer Gujarati woman. Tune in to hear the fun story about how these two lovebirds met and how their love has no boundaries. We learn from Angit & Joshna that love always wins!

In our seventh episode, we speak with Nhylar, the creative director and founder of Queer Art Exchange. Nhylar is a passionate community builder for queer and trans folks and creates safe spaces for folks to share their art, music, poetry, and visuals arts. Currently, Nhylar is involved with building events through Queer Art Exchange, Queer Mango, and Transgender Expression Haven. At these events, Nhylar can be seen sharing their beautiful spoken word. Their poetry has been published in Gaysi, BrownGirl Mag, Queer Toronto Mag, and Queerly Collective. Join us as we learn what it takes to create, organize, and host successful queer & trans events virtually and in-person!

In our sixth episode, we speak with a soulful musician, Alysha Brilla. Alysha is a queer, femme BIPOC artist, singer, songwriter, producer, and activist. She is on a mission to heal the world with her music and lyrics.  We learn about Alysha Brilla’s musical journey and how leaving a label record, led her to become the first female in Canada to have ever received multiple Juno Award nominations for her self-produced albums. Tune in to learn what it takes to create music from the soul and look out for her new album Circle dropping this summer!

In our fifth episode, we speak with the living legend, Orene Askew aka DJ O Show! DJ O Show is an Afro-Indigenous, Two-Spirited artist, activist, and motivational speaker. We talk about her identities of being Black, Indigenous, and Two-Spirit and how these identities empower her to be loud and proud for her communities. Orene's inspiring work and life journey has been made into a documentary film called The O Show releasing this Spring! Tune in to learn what inspires DJ O Show to do it all.

To start off the new year, we speak with Jaspal Sangha, also known as Grandma J. Jaspal is Alex Sangha's mom who we spoke with in Episode 1.  She talks about her journey of accepting her gay son and how she turned to her Sikhi faith for support. Tune in to learn how Jaspal's journey has led her to become a strong and fearless advocate for the queer community.  

In our third episode, we speak with the one and only Shaina Azad! We learn how she created her own inclusive and diverse space in the make up industry.  We talk about her journey in becoming a successful and daring makeup artist to owning her own Canadian cosmetic brand, Suva Beauty. Tune in to learn how Shaina demonstrates solidarity with the LGBTQ2S+ community on a daily basis. 

In our second episode, we have the greatest pleasure of speaking with Jag Nagra. Jag is a nationally known Canucks logo designer, emerging artist, documentary film lead, and a mom of two beautiful children. 

We talk about her life journey as an emerging artist, her commitment to provide representation for queer south asian women, and what it means for queer couples to have children.

TW: Miscarriages. We do talk about miscarriages and the struggles one can experience during pregnancy. 

In our first episode, we speak with Alex Sangha, founder of Sher Vancouver. We talk about his life journey, the importance of supporting queer South Asians, and the upcoming documentary film, Emergence: Out of the Shadows. Tune into our very first episode to learn about Alex's trailblazing journey!

We speak with Syd and Dee Gill, a mother-daughter duo who are on a mission to empower queer and trans individuals to be proud and live their authentic lives. Syd Gill works at Qmunity - BC’s largest Queer, Trans and Two-Spirit Resource center, as the fundraising coordinator. She is also on the board for the Vancouver Dyke March. Dee Gill is a clinical counsellor with over 30 years of experience and an inspiring mom who advocates for her two biological trans daughters. Tune in to hear these fierce women of color owning their identities.

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/syd-gill-06578b226

https://searchlightcounselling.com/about-us/

Harjant Gill is an award-winning filmmaker and associate professor of anthropology at Towson University in Washington DC. Dr. Gill’s research and films explore the intersections of gender, sexuality, religion, citizenship, transnationality and notions of belonging with a particular focus on Indian and diasporic masculinities. His films on Indian masculinity have been screened at film festivals, academic conferences and on television networks worldwide including BBC, Doordarshan (Indian National TV) and PBS. Tune in to learn about how Punjab as a hyper patriarchal society generates issues of violence, addictions, and physical and sexual abuse.

We speak with Norma Lize, a trans activist and refugee advocate from Lebanon who has received awards for her advocacy work. We learn about refugee settlement into Canada and what that journey entails especially for LGBTQ+ individuals who are forced to leave their homes due to threats,  violence, and imprisonment. Norma shares her personal story as a refugee and her journey moving into Canada as a transwoman. Norma now helps other LGBTQ+ refugees settle in Canada and works for Rainbow Refugee. Rainbow Refugee is a Vancouver based organization whose aim is to provide safer and equitable migrations for people fleeing persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics/expressions and HIV status. 

Rahat Saini is an actor, storyteller, and comedian. Rahat is an actor in Make Me A Match, Hallmark's very first South Asian story! This movie touches on Indian Matchmaking with a twist.  She also starred in the play Unexpecting, a production by Zee Zee Theatre, which celebrates queer love and provides insights into the realities of modern motherhood. Rahat is making herself visible and taking up space with all her identities to help empower other brown women to do just that. Tune in and leave feeling inspired for 2024! 

Parminder Kaur Swaich is a Punjabi writer, social activist, and poet. She is dedicated and passionate about literature and has written 5 books. She writes and directs plays about important deep rooted issues in our Punjabi culture that no one likes to talk about - rape, drugs, addictions, and female infanticide. She is a powerful, fearless, Punjabi Sikh activist who is ready to stand up for marginalized and oppressed individuals. Parminder Swaich believes we must do more for our community too, and not just for our own families.

For this special episode, Jolene Queen Sloan, desi drag queen, helped us to translate this episode from Punjabi to English. Tune into this wholesome conversation between different generations and learn about their stories.

ਪਰਮਿੰਦਰ ਸਵੈਚ ਇੱਕ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਲੇਖਕ, ਸਮਾਜਿਕ ਕਾਰਕੁਨ ਅਤੇ ਕਵੀ ਹੈ। ਉਹ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਪ੍ਰਤੀ ਸਮਰਪਿਤ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਵੁਕ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਸਨੇ 5 ਕਿਤਾਬਾਂ ਲਿਖੀਆਂ ਹਨ। ਉਹ ਸਾਡੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸੱਭਿਆਚਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਹਿਮ ਡੂੰਘੀਆਂ ਜੜ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਾਲੇ ਮੁੱਦਿਆਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਨਾਟਕ ਲਿਖਦੀ ਅਤੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਤ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਗੱਲ ਕਰਨਾ ਪਸੰਦ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦਾ - ਬਲਾਤਕਾਰ, ਨਸ਼ੇ, ਅਤੇ ਕੰਨਿਆ ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ। ਉਹ ਇੱਕ ਸ਼ਕਤੀਸ਼ਾਲੀ, ਨਿਡਰ, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਿੱਖ ਕਾਰਕੁਨ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਹਾਸ਼ੀਏ 'ਤੇ ਅਤੇ ਦੱਬੇ-ਕੁਚਲੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਲਈ ਖੜ੍ਹੇ ਹੋਣ ਲਈ ਤਿਆਰ ਹੈ। ਪਰਮਿੰਦਰ ਸਵੈਚ ਦਾ ਮੰਨਣਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਭਾਈਚਾਰੇ ਲਈ ਵੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਕੁਝ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ, ਨਾ ਕਿ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਆਪਣੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰਾਂ ਲਈ। ਇਸ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਐਪੀਸੋਡ ਨੂੰ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਤੋਂ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਨੁਵਾਦ ਕਰਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਡੀ ਦੇਸੀ ਡਰੈਗ ਕਵੀਨ ਜੋਲੀਨ ਕੁਈਨ ਸਲੋਅਨ ਨੇ ਮਦਦ ਕੀਤੀ।  ਇਸ ਵਧੀਆ ਐਪੀਸੋਡ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਣੋ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਕਹਾਣੀਆਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਜਾਣੋ। 

Baltej Singh Dhillon became the first turbaned Royal Canadian Mounties Officer (RCMP) officer in 1991 after a long national debate about making religious accommodations to the uniform . Being the first Sikh officer with a turban led to a long journey of being proactive and teaching others acceptance of the Sikhi faith. Baltej understands what it feels to be targeted and attacked for being himself and shares how his faith keeps him grounded and rise above it all. Baltej stands proudly as a father with his lesbian daughter and stands together with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. He wants everyone in the community to know you either choose education or ignorance during this time of misinformation and hatred towards the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Tune in to learn more about the Sikhi faith and how these teachings help Baltej responds to hatred. 

For our Season 2 closer, we bring you a very special guest who is massively popular with over 550K subscribers on YouTube under the name PRINCESSJOULES. Julie Vu is a transgender activist, model, content creator, and entrepreneur. She started her YouTube journey in 2013 where she became one of the first people to share her personal stories of transitioning and documented her transition from male to female. Her raw, unedited videos of her transition provided a safe haven and education for the larger community. She has been a spokesmodel for many brands like Sephora, Aritzia, Ikea, RW&CO., and much more. Julie Vu shares her story of struggle, triumphs, and helps raise awareness of trans people. Julie Vu is truly an inspiration and we highly recommend you tune in to learn more about her!

In this special wrap-up episode, we reflect on our four-year podcasting journey together. Anu Pala, podcast mentor and editor, guides us through a heartfelt review of our episodes, memorable moments, and the incredible guests we’ve had the opportunity to meet through this platform. Join us as we share what podcasting truly takes, offer some behind-the-scenes stories, and express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has been part of the Sher Vancouver Podcast journey. This episode is a celebration of the community we’ve built together. Thank you for being with us through every episode!