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Satvika identifies as a queer-brown-immigrant-women, and has been working to integrate and embrace those hyphens between those identities her whole life. She's given a TEDx talk on the subject, expressing how this is especially important for everyone to do.
"When you are able to be wholly, authentically yourself - you give others a space to be wholly, authentically themselves, as well."
"Embracing the Hyphen" is a TEDx Talk given in 2018 at the TEDxUniversity of Pittsburgh. It highlights the need for rethinking the definition of intersectionality to include both identities of race, class, gender, etc and individual lived experiences - the importance of embracing the hyphens of your identity and bridging the gaps between your experiences.
Check out the full video and transcript here.
One of the biggest ways to put into practice that mantra, Satvika is one of four founding members of Rangoli Pittsburgh, the first community initiative in Western PA created to create community for and uplift the voices of LGBTQ+ South Asians in Pittsburgh. Rangoli was founded in 2017 and since then has published anthologies, hosted events, and coined the national LGBTQ+ AAPI Day of Visibility annually on June 1st. Most importantly, Rangoli has also connected to become part of the larger fabric of LGBTQ+ South Asian organizations nationwide, and has expanded to include many more new people right here in Pittsburgh.
Satvika co-founded Rangoli Pittsburgh in 2017 with 3 other queer South Asians in Pittsburgh. Rangoli has since published a collection of expressive pieces by LGBTQ+ South Asians called Mirrors, organized a nationwide LGBTQ+ AAPI Day of Visibility on June 1 with proclamations from the City of Pittsburgh and the Commonwealth of PA two years in a row, and organized many community workshops, panels and events.
Learn more at the Rangoli Pittsburgh website, or find a short summary of our work here.
"A mirror reflects only what it can see, only what is illuminated. The desire to see ourselves wholly represented inspired this collection, Mirrors...we hope that Mirrors is still a step toward reflecting experiences, which are as American, as South Asian, and as LGBTQ+ as we are.
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