Unlearning at Every Step: Sonal Giani (She/Her)

LGBTQIA+ activist and filmmaker Sonal Giani speaks about discarding prejudice to rise above homophobia, the importance of finding a supportive community, and self-empowerment.

- Simar Malhotra

“I identify as a ciswoman, who is bisexual and polyamorous. When I was 13 years old, I realised that I am attracted to people of my own and other genders. When I spoke to my twin sister about it, she asked me if I was a lesbian, and since I didn’t relate to that identity and was not ready to handle the prejudice associated with being queer, I denied it. At the time I had no language to express what I was feeling because there were no conversations regarding gender or sexuality. But I did see the intrinsic homophobia and transphobia that existed in the form of bullying kids who were different. This made it even more difficult for me to accept my reality.