Sabah Choudrey

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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

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

  1. 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.
  2. TEDx Talks (5 December 2015). Brown, trans, queer, Muslim and proud | Sabah Choudrey | TEDxBrixton . Retrieved 14 April 2025 via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 "Ramadan with Sabah Choudrey". Dishoom Journal. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  4. Ashenden, Amy (1 June 2018). "Being a queer Muslim in Ramadan". PinkNews . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  5. "OUR JOURNEY". COLOURS YOUTH NETWORK. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  6. 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.
  7. 1 2 "Sabah Choudrey". The LGBT Speakers Agency. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  8. "On International Transgender Day of Visibility, read British Muslim trans activist Sabah Choudrey's book". Firstpost . 31 March 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  9. Wallace, Megan (19 January 2022). "Want to support Trans People of Colour? Read this". Cosmopolitan . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  10. "Inclusivity – Supporting BAME Trans People". Gender Identity Research & Education Society. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  11. 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.
  12. "Meet the team". Middlesex Pride. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  13. Nagesh, Ashitha (19 February 2016). "These portraits celebrate totally badass transgender activists of faith". Metro. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  14. "Sabah Choudrey". HuffPost . Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  15. "It changed my life: Sabah Choudrey". British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Retrieved 14 April 2025.