Sabah Choudrey
Sabah Choudrey is an English activist, speaker and writer who has spoken about their experiences as a queer and trans individual within the Muslim community. They co-founded Trans Pride Brighton and the Colours Youth Network and is a director at Middlesex Pride.
Biography
[edit]Choudrey grew up in a Pakistani Muslim family in England. In 2013, they co-founded Trans Pride Brighton, the first trans-specific pride parade in England.[1]
In 2015, Choudrey spoke at TEDxBrixton, giving a talk titled "Brown, trans, queer, Muslim and proud."[2] They are Vice-Chair for the Board of Trustees at the Inclusive Mosque Initiative, which creates inclusive places for marginalised Muslims.[3] They have spoken to the media about being a queer Muslin in Ramadan.[3][4]
In 2016, Choudrey helped found Colours Youth Network, a youth group supporting LGBTQ+ young people of colour and youth workers. The group announced they would be closing in 2024 after 8 years of working with LGBTQ+ individuals of colour across the UK.[5]
In 2021, they were awarded Gay Times's Honour for Future Fighter.[6] They were later named on the Diversity Power List 2024/25.[7]
In 2022, Choudrey wrote the book Supporting Trans People of Colour: How to Make Your Practice Inclusive, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers,[8] which "uses case studies, independent research and practical checklists to introduce professionals working with trans people to ways of creating safer spaces".[9] They were also commissioned by the Gender Identity Research & Education Society (GIRES) to write the 28 page booklet Inclusivity – Supporting BAME Trans People in 2016.[10]
In 2023, they helped volunteer for the first in-person Middlesex Pride event. They later joined the Middlesex Pride team as a director.[11][12] They also started QTIPOC, a support network for queer, trans and intersex people of colour in Brighton and Hove, as well as founding desiQ for queer desi people.[13][14]
In addition to their activism, Choudrey is a psychotherapist and artist wellbeing practitioner.[7] They have spoken about their own career journey in psychotherapy and how therapy created space for them to accept themself.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ Dhaliwal, Sharan (26 July 2023). "'I built Middlesex Pride after building pride in myself': How one writer's coming out story inspired wider change". Attitude. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ TEDx Talks (5 December 2015). Brown, trans, queer, Muslim and proud | Sabah Choudrey | TEDxBrixton. Retrieved 14 April 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Ramadan with Sabah Choudrey". Dishoom Journal. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ Ashenden, Amy (1 June 2018). "Being a queer Muslim in Ramadan". PinkNews. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "OUR JOURNEY". COLOURS YOUTH NETWORK. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Sarwar, Umar (1 September 2022). "This Is Love by Calvin Klein: Sabah Choudrey dedicates love letter to trans youth". Gay Times. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Sabah Choudrey". The LGBT Speakers Agency. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "On International Transgender Day of Visibility, read British Muslim trans activist Sabah Choudrey's book". Firstpost. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ Wallace, Megan (19 January 2022). "Want to support Trans People of Colour? Read this". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "Inclusivity – Supporting BAME Trans People". Gender Identity Research & Education Society. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ Choudrey, Sabah; Choudrey/, Sabah (4 January 2024). "Sabah Choudrey accepts role as co-director of Middlesex Pride – as a Brownslow resident, they explain why it's important". Burnt Roti. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Meet the team". Middlesex Pride. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ Nagesh, Ashitha (19 February 2016). "These portraits celebrate totally badass transgender activists of faith". Metro. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "Sabah Choudrey". HuffPost. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "It changed my life: Sabah Choudrey". British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Retrieved 14 April 2025.