Shubham Rawat’s Post

Working for trans* visibility every day, in activism and dating spaces. Last month, I wrote this little guide for Taimi: LGBTQ Dating App, to celebrate the Trans Visibility Day. It can be hard to find a place in the dating landscape as a trans person. I gathered some tips from personal experience and observations. It should be helpful both for trans people looking for dates and for cis people who are dating someone trans. https://lnkd.in/d4BT-txc

The 5 reasons I'm still single! 1. The reason I'm still single is the prevalence of survival-focused dating, where the pursuit of wealth overshadows genuine love for a partner. 2. Being attracted to high-maintenance women without a corresponding income, encountering slay queens with empty account balances. 3. The rise of feminists advocating for equal rights without embracing equal responsibilities. 4. Unfaithfulness becoming a societal norm, making it hard to believe a girl is committed to just one guy. 5. Encountering individuals without a clear vision, facing resistance when questioning what they bring to the table. Remember, a relationship based solely on physical intimacy lacks substance; genuine love is irreplaceable, and trying to impress someone at the cost of your well-being is counterproductive.

Happy National Coming Out Day!  🌈 I'm so proud to be a part of an industry that can at times feel hyper-masculine, yet continues to improve when it comes to emotional intelligence, leadership, and inclusivity.   Obviously, not all companies or regions of the industry are created equal.  If you want to know how to support your friends, family and coworkers who identify as LGBTQIA , here are some things that I appreciated or wished could have been done differently at times:  1. Be aware of your own personal biases - Homophobia is a big scary word, so it’s tough to admit that sometimes we are working through our own internalized homophobia, even if it’s not necessarily something extreme.  However, we’re all human.  People grow and change all of the time.  Something that I do to create more awareness with my own biases or internalized homophobia when it pops up, (yes, even as a gay man, we’re not immune to it all of the time,) is ask myself this:   When did I begin to believe and/or fear this?   Why do I believe and/or fear this?  Am I allowing or participating in a similar belief, fear or behavior that is actually based on another’s personal bias or internalized homophobia/transphobia?   2. Be a Leader, not a Follower - when you experienced or witnessed someone make a cruel joke, call someone a name, (even if they weren’t present,) or exhibit their own biases in ways that excluded someone on your team, in your friend group, or in your family, did you laugh and join the conversation, or did you pull the person aside in private and explain to them why it might have hurt someone’s feelings? There’s no one-size fits all for defending minority groups or individuals, but as Elie Wiesel once alliterated, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”  You don’t need to throw someone unkind under the bus or humiliate them.  But you can stand up for those on the other end of the joke, even if they’re not present.   3. Audre Lorde once stated in a poetic speech about civil rights, “Your silence will not protect you.”  I feel lucky in some ways when I look back on the journey to coming out as a gay man.  It wasn’t easy, but it allowed me to see myself, my career and life in general in a way that helped me turn off the “Auto-Pilot.”  Maybe you don’t need to come out and define your identity, but are you withholding from working towards a goal because you’re worried of what others might think?  Do you find yourself saying yes or no when you would like to respond with the opposite?  What I hope you’ll take away from this, is that this day of celebration might exist for LGBTQIA people primarily, but in the same way that Pride is for all types of people, National Coming Out Day can remind us all to be more authentic in whatever way that works for you.  Who are you celebrating today?  What are some things you want to ‘come out’ with?  Who helped you feel accepted when you came out? 

Is monogamy the only relationship option? Tl;dr - nope. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, monogamy has always been at the heart of how we couple up. However, it might not be quite as simple as this... at least not for everyone. For #ValentinesDay, myGwork's Zoë Schulz writes on ethical non-monogamy and the rise in non-traditional relationships. #LGBTQ #Relationships

I once started a magazine for bisexuals called Bi Monthly but no-one could decide if it came out twice a month or every two months... 🥁 🤣 Yesterday was Bi Visibility Day. As a bi woman, this line from an article on allyship resonated with me: "One of most common misconceptions bisexual people face is the assumption that they are either gay or straight, depending on their current relationship. If a bisexual person is in a heterosexual relationship, society tends to assume they are straight; if they are in a same-sex relationship, they are assumed to be gay. This erases bisexuality and invalidates the identity of those that don't fit neatly into these binary categories." This is particularly true if you are in a long term stable relationship. Being visible in a way that doesn't unsettle my partner has always challenged me a bit. But it's who I am, it's who I've always been and it definitely feels right to be less invisible. There are some great resources on MyGWork.com on allyship and learning to be confident in a bisexual identity. I'll post links below.

❤️ For better, for worse, richer or poorer, monogamy has always been at the heart of how we couple up. 🌱 An often unspoken contract, presumed from the start of a relationship: it’s what sets apart a situationship and serious commitment. 💍 Traditional marriage may tell you differently, but non-traditional love has always existed, and it seems ethical non-monogamy (ENM) may be slowly creeping out of the shadows and into the mainstream. ⤵ Read the complete story on ethical non-monogamy below: #Monogamy #Relationships #ENM #EthicalNonMonogamy #Marriage #Commitment #ModernRelationships #LGBTQ #News

🌻 Our aims have always been clear to us: 🌻 1. To create a safe space to discuss and investigate ourselves, society and subjects that are considered taboo or not mainstream. 🌻 2. To give a platform for new voices and easy access to publishing opportunities with a focus on queer, BIPOC and underrepresented communities. We do this by actively seeking out new art and writing from marginalised individuals during our callouts. We print our zines once a year and have so far given space to almost 100 individuals from around the world to showcase their creative work. 😍 Our first issue is all about "Celebrating Body Hair" and our second issue is on the theme of "Blood" Q. What do you think the theme of our next issue should be? 🤔 #Publication #Brighton #Hove #SmallBusiness #SmallPublication #Zines #Zine #Taboo #CounterCulture #MarginalisedVoices

Which of these resonates with you? Confident. Expresses her opinions openly. Stands up for what’s right (most of the time). Passionate about her beliefs. If those describe you - then you might be being mislabled as a "Karen". I see you -the rose between the thorns. Ah, the term "Karen." It's become quite the buzzword, hasn't it? But let's break it down. Is it truly an insult? Some might argue yes, but let's consider the bigger picture. First off, for many years - Karen's were just living their life. Not being put down my anyone. Then all of a sudden... things changed. I have to image the hospitals are seeing less use of this when naming newborns. Has anyone seen those stats? Saldy the usage "Karen" is inherently sexist and worth examining. After all, when I asked around and of course Googled for the male equivalent, it was reportedly "Kyle," yet others claimed "Terry." The truth? There isn't a universally accepted male counterpart. Nothing widely known or used. Interesting, isn't it? So, let's talk reappropriation. Just like the LGBTQ community embraced "queer," and have used it lovingly to describe themselves, they have taken the power and negativity out of the word. It doesn't hurt them anymore! With this in mind, perhaps there's power in owning "Karen." Embracing it means taking back control. It's about saying, "Yes, I'm assertive. Yes, I stand up for what's right. And darn it, I'm passionate about what I believe in!" So, are you lucky enough to be a Karen? Maybe it's time to own it. After all, who wouldn't want to be confident, principled, and passionate? 💪 #OwnYourName #KarenPowerI

Happy Bisexual Visibility Day! I'm very proud to be bisexual, and I love that me being out and proud gives others the confidence to express themselves. There aren't a tonne of bisexual role models, so it feels extra important for me to be proud of my bisexuality, to bust bisexual myths and to help others to understand and communicate their sexuality. Common hurdles that bisexual folks face include: - not feeling "queer enough" to access LGBTQIA spaces and community. -feeling anxiety around their identity. -feeling a pressure to "choose a side". -struggling with expressing themselves while in heterosexual-presenting relationships -navigating non-monogamy as a way to explore different kinds of attraction and relationships. If you're bisexual, or think you might be and any of the above resonate with you, I'd encourage you to reach out to me for support. I can provide you with a safe, caring and confidential space to explore and find confidence and pride.