Not all publications mean the same. This one is personal, and came from 2 years of conceptualizing, which obviously includes doubt, curiosity, and ambition. When I first partnered with RainbowAsia+ (now known as Kayos Kollective), I didn’t know how instrumental they would be in supporting my research. They went over and beyond, just to make my own research interests come to fruition. They inspired me about the joy of research as well, which accounts for one of the reasons I might have applied for the PhD.

This paper forms the crux of my Masters thesis, where I had evaluated the shifts in critical consciousness among queer and transgender men in Singapore who participated in a Theatre of the Oppressed workshop I conducted. I think I was still a “baby researcher” at that point, so there are many things I would do differently now (my PhD dissertation is that space, and yet I know I’ll make other mistakes). But I’m incredibly proud of getting this paper out of the gate. I have a second paper, a more qualitative examination of the stories shared by participants, that has been rejected by 5 journals and is now shelved temporarily – the aim is to get it sent to the 6th journal this summer.

All this is to say that academia is still a tough game, and one needs thick skin and a lot of perseverance to not stay on the ground defeated for too long. Instead, I learn that it might be helpful to celebrate each win and break tough tasks into tiny ones so that they aren’t shelved forever. I realize this post is more reflective about the journey of writing than the paper that got published.

Well, if you’d like to read the article published, you can read it here!