JALWA

JALWA is back!!! KhushDC's premier party for the District's South Asian queer and trans* community. This time we're joined by DJ DynAmite of YUVA Bollywood Parties. Break out your inner Madhuri, Runa Laila, or Rukmani Devi and meet us on the dancefloor! Saturday, May 7th 9:30pm - 2:30am Smith Public Trust 3514 12th St. NE NO COVER (donations accepted) 21+ Accessiblity: venue is on the ground floor. If you have accessbility needs, please message KhushDC ******************************************************************* KhushDC is a social, support and political group that provides a safe and supportive environment, promotes awareness and acceptance, and fosters positive cultural and sexual identity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) and additional gender or sexual minority South Asians in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. ******************************************************************* Dear KhushDC community: Thank you for pushing us as a board and an organization to reflect more critically on the guidelines we had posted for Jalwa. This has been an opportunity for honest conversations among the board, the members of which come from different backgrounds, experiences and opinions regarding this matter. Our intention in stating the original guideline was in response to members of the KhushDC community who have felt unsafe or unwelcome to Jalwa, particularly our members who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, femme folks and women. These experiences range from being violently approached by other guests to being verbally harassed. We do not expect or ask others to share their lived experiences, because it is enough that we have been told that our spaces are unsafe for all members of our community. This type of unsafe environment is not one that KhushDC condones and it is in the spirit of creating a safe community that we shared that guideline. We understand that our language was not clear and to some it seemed as if we were policing identities and that we did not want certain individuals attending Jalwa. That is not the case. We ask all guests attending Jalwa for respectful participation in this space that has been created for South Asian LGBTQ identified people. Jalwa is seen by some as a vehicle for cultural exchange. But many of us have felt unwelcome in both non-LGBTQ and LGBTQ spaces based on what we look like, what we wear, what we sound like. KhushDC was created as a space to ensure that all members of our community feel uplifted, supported, and above all, safe. For those choosing to wear South Asian clothing, we ask they reflect on the cultural significance of the attire. And what it may mean to some members of our community who have experienced racism, discrimination, and prejudice based on that same attire. It is also important to recognize that South Asian people's appearances are different, and our chosen, blood, and adoptive families appeareances can also be very different. The challenges of feeling unwelcomed are already familiar to our loved ones, who have likely been our sources of comfort during tough times. KhushDC aspires to create spaces where no one feels unwelcome and our community feels safe in engaging with one another. We must also share that by issuing a guideline, which was intended to protect and uplift vulnerable members of our community, we have been subjected to anonymous emails. These emails included racialized language that targeted South Asian Americans and Muslims. They dismissed true lived experiences and made us feel unsafe in KhushDC spaces. We believe these personal and anonymous emails are unacceptable because they further contribute to creating an unwelcoming environment for all members of our community. KhushDC welcomes everyone to Jalwa and encourages further dialogue on this subject. As we continue this conversation we ask community members to continue engaging each other with respect and compassion. We want to thank everyone who has contributed to the discussion so far. Our view is that this exchange is fodder for personal growth, and an opportunity to forge greater connection among our community. Let’s keep the conversation going. Always yours, 2016 KhushDC Board president@khushdc.org board@khushdc.org