The True Colors of Pride: A Conversation With Dr. Ahmad Qais Munhazim

With Pride month having just passed, many of us are taking time to reflect on what Pride month has meant to us personally and to our communities. On Tuesday, June 22, Thomas Jefferson University had an Instagram Live conversation with Dr. Ahmad Qais Munhazim, assistant professor of Global Studies, discussing the meanings of pride locally and globally.

In our discussion, Dr. Munhazim delves into their own representations and celebrations of their queerness, speaking of personal moments both here in the U.S. and in Afghanistan. They discuss how celebrating queerness looks different globally and what expectations are put onto queer spaces through the Western gaze. They have an honest reckoning with identities, speaking on the safety and limitations of different labels as a queer person of color. They also speak on who Pride includes, who it rejects, and how the corporatization of this month’s celebrations has influenced the LGBTQ+ community. We finish the conversation with unapologetic queer dreaming, envisioning a Pride celebration centering on the most radical versions of queerness. To hear more about these topics, you can watch the full-length conversation below.