Last week, I sat down with Manu Kaur (they/them), a multi-talented person with an impressive history of organizing work. We discussed things that bring them joy when they aren’t working, and how they build queer community while being mindful of the needs of those around them. We also spoke at length about what they want to see more of from privileged people when it comes to anti-caste organizing. I then shared an experience I had with the app Dil Mil, which, at the time of the communication I shared, had the labels “brahmin” and “jatt” – indicators of caste – under the “communities” section of their app. Our current ask of Dil Mil is to remove “jatt” from their app, which is still there to this day. We continued to speak on ways that people with caste privilege can leverage that privilege to call in people who are perpetuating casteism, and more!
More about Manu: Manu works in neuropsych research and is a community organizer, educator, and advocate with Equality Labs. They are a queer non-binary Dalit feminist committed to caste annihilation, queer liberation, and mental health activism. Their work is centered around advocating for caste oppressed communities, defending queer and trans lives, and dismantling the anti-Blackness that exists within the diasporic South Asian community. Manu dreams of a world that amplifies, uplifts, and protects Black, Indigenous, Dalit, queer, and trans lives.
Follow and Support Manu’s Work:
Instagram: @meowingmanubilli
Equality Labs, an anti-Caste organization that Manu works with: @equalitylabs
This livestream is part of my Pride Livestream series, where I’m highlighting different LGBTQ+ creators through interviews on my instagram account. The people I’ve spoken with are authors, creators, and artists, and I talk with them to share anything and everything that they’re excited to talk about with my audience, and encourage my audience to support them.