Asifa Lahore
{{Short description|British drag queen}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
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| name = Asifa Lahore
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| birth_name = Asif Quraishi
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|31|2014|10|18}}{{Cite news |last=Chaudhary |first=Vivek |date=2014-10-18 |title=Asifa Lahore: My parents are traditional Muslims. It took a lot of courage for me to tell them I'm gay |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/19/asifa-lahore-first-gay-asian-drag-queen |access-date=2024-01-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}
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| occupation = Drag queen
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Asifa Lahore (born Asif Quraishi; 1982 or 1983) is a British Muslim trans woman who has been described as Britain's first out Muslim drag queen.{{cite news |last1=Martyr |first1=Kate |title=Meet Britain's first Muslim drag queen |url=https://www.dw.com/en/meet-britains-first-muslim-drag-queen/video-61756330 |work=DW |date=5 November 2022}}
Personal life
Brought up in Southall, London, Lahore is from a Pakistani Muslim family and has spoken about the difficulty in coming out to her parents when she was 23 years old.{{cite news |last1=Chaudhary |first1=Vivek |title=Asifa Lahore: My parents are traditional Muslims. It took a lot of courage for me to tell them I'm gay |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/19/asifa-lahore-first-gay-asian-drag-queen |work=The Observer |date=18 October 2014}} Her parents first sent her to the doctor and then to their local imam. Lahore was coerced into a relationship with a first cousin in Pakistan in an attempt to change Lahore's sexual orientation. After six months, during which he sought counselling and assistance from LGBT groups, Lahore terminated the relationship. Lahore is a practising Muslim,{{cite news |last1=Snowdon |first1=Kathryn |title=Being Gay And Muslim Is A Natural Fit, Says Drag Queen |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/20/muslim-drag-queen-asifa-lahore-islam-gay-marriage_n_8016224.html |work=HuffPost UK |date=23 August 2015}} saying: "I go to the mosque. I fast at Ramadan. I've been on pilgrimage". She has said that her mother now watches and enjoys her drag shows.
In 2009, while still identifying as a gay man, Lahore entered a civil partnership with another man of Pakistani heritage in a large ceremony. In 2014, months after the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom, they converted their civil partnership to a marriage.{{cite news |last1=Burgess |first1=Kaya |date=17 December 2023 |title=Muslim gay marriage is thriving, says drag queen |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/muslim-gay-marriage-is-thriving-says-drag-queen-asifa-lahore-ngzkzpjqm |work=The Times}} {{As of|2017}}, the two were undergoing a divorce by mutual consent.{{cite news |title=Gay Muslim weddings are 'much more common than people think' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gay-muslim-weddings-more-common-people-think-asifa-lahore-drag-performer-says-a7849861.html |work=The Independent |date=19 July 2017}}
In May 2017, Lahore came out as a trans woman.{{cite news |last1=Semple |first1=Ross |title='Muslim drag queen' Asifa Lahore comes out as trans |url=https://www.attitude.co.uk/news/world/muslim-drag-queen-asifa-lahore-comes-out-as-trans-292699/ |work=Attitude |date=24 May 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Meka |title=Muslim drag queen Asifa Lahore comes out as trans |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2017/05/27/muslim-drag-queen-asifa-lahore-comes-out-as-trans/ |work=PinkNews |date=27 May 2017}}{{cite news |title=Asifa Lahore: What It's Like To Be An Out Muslim Drag Queen |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/asifa-lahore-what-its-like-to-be-an-out-muslim-drag-queen_uk_5ef30d78c5b6aa825ac926ad |work=HuffPost UK |date=24 June 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Douglas |first1=Lucy |title=Hope 100: British Muslim drag queens smashing stereotypes |url=https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/culture/hope-100-british-drag-queens-smashing-stereotypes/ |work=Positive News |date=7 February 2020}} In the same year, she commented on a then-recent wedding which was claimed to be the first same-sex Muslim marriage in Britain, saying: "I'm glad this young boy has declared so openly about his marriage, but [I] want him to know there have been others before him, and will be many more". In 2021, she spoke about being visually impaired.{{cite news |last1=Baldwin |first1=Philip |title=Let's shine a light on disabled LGBTQ+ people |url=https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/lets-shine-a-light-on-disabled-lgbtq-people/ |work=Gay Times |date=28 July 2021}}
Career
Lahore became involved in drag in 2011, when she was 27 years old.{{cite news |last1=Bugel |first1=Safi |title=Britain's first out Muslim drag queen: Asifa Lahore is a proud clubland pioneer |url=https://mixmag.net/feature/asifa-lahore-interview-muslim-drag-queen-south-asian-series |work=Mixmag |date=6 September 2021}} She says she was first inspired to embrace drag by her mother's elaborate saris.{{cite news |last1=Goldhill |first1=Olivia |title=My life as a gay Muslim drag queen |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/11789598/My-life-as-a-gay-Muslim-drag-queen.html |work=The Telegraph |date=18 August 2015 }} Her performances often reference aspects of her Muslim culture. Those performances include wearing rainbow-coloured hijabs{{cite news |last1=Burns |first1=Amy |title=Muslim Drag Queens, Channel 4 - TV review: A touching insight into the life of Britain's first Muslim drag queen |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/muslim-drag-queens-10pm-channel-4-tv-review-a-touching-insight-into-the-life-of-britain-s-first-muslim-drag-queen-10469909.html |work=The Independent |date=25 August 2015}} and "a signature stripping act that features a burqa".{{cite news |last1=Winship |first1=Lyndsey |title='Getting rid of the beard is a challenge': the secret world of Asian drag queens |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/apr/24/asian-drag-queens-gaysian-cabaret-miss-meena-and-the-masala-queens |work=The Guardian |date=24 April 2017}}
In 2014, Lahore was to discuss her experience as a gay Muslim on BBC Three's Free Speech programme. This segment was not aired, following security concerns{{cite news |title=BBC Three show denies censorship |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26576673 |work=BBC News |date=14 March 2014}} and because the programme makers did not discuss the segment with the mosque in which the show was being filmed.{{cite news |last1=Plunkett |first1=John |title=BBC accused of censorship in row over Free Speech show from mosque |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/13/bbc-censorhip-free-speech-mosque |work=The Guardian |date=13 March 2014}}{{cite news |last1=Edgar |first1=James |title=Mosque leader compares being gay to paedophilia and murder |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/10710750/Mosque-leader-compares-being-gay-to-paedophilia-and-murder.html |work=The Telegraph |date=20 March 2014}} In 2015, she featured in Muslim Drag Queens, a Channel 4 documentary film, narrated by Ian McKellen.{{cite news |last1=Hinde |first1=Natasha |title=Muslim Drag Queen Asifa Lahore Fears Backlash Over New Channel 4 Documentary |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/18/muslim-drag-queens-asifa-lahore-fears-backlash-over-documentary_n_8004478.html |work=HuffPost UK |date=18 August 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Sweney |first1=Mark |title=Muslim Drag Queens activist voices fears of backlash over Channel 4 film |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/aug/18/muslim-drag-queens-channel-4-sir-ian-mckellen-asif-quaraishi-backlash |work=The Guardian |date=18 August 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Danny |title=Channel 4 delve into the world of Muslim Drag Queens |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/muslim-drag-queens-channel-4-6289710 |work=The Mirror |date=20 August 2015}} The programme was watched by over 1 million people in the UK.{{cite news |last1=Sweney |first1=Mark |title=Muslim Drag Queens watched by more than 1 million on Channel 4 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/aug/25/muslim-drag-queens-watched-by-more-than-1-million-on-channel-4 |work=The Guardian |date=25 August 2015}} In 2016, she featured on BBC Asian Network where she performed "Punjabi Girl", a parody of Barbie Girl.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p044wpxc|title=BBC Asian Network – Mim Shaikh, Asifa Lahore, "I'm a Punjabi girl, in a Punjabi world"|date=11 August 2016 |publisher=BBC}} In 2023, Darius Shu and Shiva Raichandani filmed Always Asifa, a TV documentary featuring Lahore commissioned by Together TV.{{Cite web |title=S1 E4 Queer Lives Today - Always, Asifa {{!}} Together TV |url=https://watch.togethertv.com/asset/bb69f633_876053-1_DA0EA3b |access-date=24 March 2023 |website=watch.togethertv.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=16 November 2022 |title=Destigmatising Transitioning with Shiva Raichandani |url=https://www.togethertv.com/blog/destigmatising-transitioning-shiva-raichandani |access-date=24 March 2023 |website=www.togethertv.com |language=en}}