Niyam Nritya : a dance of resisting and recreating social norms within Queer South Asian bodies!

This thesis investigates the relationship between queer South Asians and social norms, arguing that these norms play a critical role in shaping their queer selves, which in turn, impacts their queer authenticity. This investigation is framed through an exploration of relevant scholarship that examines heteronormativity, homonormativity and white normativity as social norms, alongside specific norms within South Asian culture that define their queerness. By applying these theoretical constructs to interviews conducted for this research, the thesis employs a thematic analysis to uncover the lived experience of queer South Asians and draws on inferences about their relationship to social norms. The study illustrates both the adherence to and resistance of social norms, ultimately arguing that queer South Asians actively negotiate with these norms to inform their queer selves and express their queer authenticity.