7 fierce advocates from the community discuss cultural identity and queerness.

On today’s episode we hear from seven fierce advocates from the community that are queer people of color. Dulasi, Chey, Meghana, and Dylan (aka drag performer “Maven”) from the YPN have a yarn with Ngatokotoru Tomokino (AKA the drag queen “Moesha”), Kim Thatcher, and Emily Branson (AKA performer/DJ “Jamilla”) in a powerful and enlightening discussion about cultural identity and queerness.

Got a story or an idea for an episode? Hit us up at ypn@yacwa.org.au

This podcast was recorded on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar and we wish to acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as traditional custodians of this land, its waters, and its communities. We acknowledge and pay respect to Elders past, present, and future as sovereign leaders, sovereignty was never ceded. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.

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Kim is a non-binary Maori lesbian whose ancestors from the many tribes who call the East Coast of North Island of Aotearoa (New Zealand) home. They are currently obsessed with Pokemon Go and will always want to see pictures of your cat. They are studying education and social science and hope to continue to show up, advocate for, and be a role model to young people of all diversities.

Emily is a West Australian Music Award winning electronic producer, DJ and artist who performs under the name Jamilla. Her lyrics are honest and politically charged, often writing songs about her experiences as a POC woman or her queer identitfy. She has toured around Australia and internationally with live music and DJs around Perth as her full time job. Emily was born in England with Trinidadian heritage and has lived in Australia since she was a child. She identifies and pansexual and uses she/her pronouns.

Dulasi joined YPN in 2021 and is part of the Policy Team, in keeping with their interest in research and actionable change. They are a medical student and therefore will be studying forever, but is driven by their involvement in queer health advocacy and pushing for better queer education in medical schools/universities across WA. They are also passionate about youth mental health, climate justice and advocating for refugee health. As a Sri-Lankan queer person living on Whadjuk Noongar Land, they are committed to actively decolonizing themselves and the work they do. In their spare time, Dulasi volunteers at LGBTIQA+ youth drop-in spaces in Boorloo (Perth). Their hobbies include cooking, napping and being part of crustacean appreciation groups on social media.

Dylan is an enthusiastic member of the YPN committee. A queer person of colour, a fashion design student, a passionate LGBTIQA+ youth advocate, and a fierce upcoming drag performer, they’ve hit the ground running at YPN, working hard to make WA a better place for LGBTIQA+ POC.

A finalist at the 2021 WA Youth Awards for Creative Contribution, Dylan is passionate about using art and drag as a vessel for advocating for LGBTIQA+ people and people of colour. Whether it be while whirling spots as their drag alter ego, or while wearing their hoodies crooked to fashion school, Dylan is always advocating for queer youth to reach their full potential.

Walking the entire 2021 Pride Parade with the YPN float in a pair of heels (without complaint), Dylan has become an integral member of the YPN team.

Chey is the Project Officer for the YPN, a queer person of colour, and an absolute style icon. Her dedication to queer advocacy is extensive and ongoing and manifests through volunteer work, research projects, and youth consultancy.

International relations and political science honours graduate with a thesis in inter-Korean relations and human rights from an ontological perspective, Chey is a dedicated researcher and collaborator. The brains behind YPN’s “Me and My Doctor” resource and the Youth Services resource, she has worked for a number of think-tanks, research centres, and non-for-profits. Intersectionality, inclusion, and ensuring the safety and success of all BIPOC (black & indigenous people of colour) are at the forefront of all Chey’s work both at YPN and beyond.

An integral part of the YPN team, Chey’s leadership is steering the committee towards exciting and important projects, all while she consistently serves fierce fashion looks.

YPN Committee member Meghana is an active and dedicated queer advocate both in their work at YPN and outside of it. A queer person of colour, Meghana is currently studying a double degree Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology at UWA. Psychology and mental health are areas that they’re passionate about and they channel this through their queer advocacy work as the Pride Officer at UWA. They help to bring about change for queer students and staff and bring awareness to queer issues in the broader community. In their spare time they enjoy connecting with their community and playing Table Top Role Playing Game