Discover more Scholar Spotlights.

Gitika (Aki) Sanjay, a Laidlaw Scholar at the University of St Andrews, explores 300 years of LGBTQ+ history in South and East Asia.

In the spotlight this week, we have Gitika Sanjay, known as Aki, a Laidlaw Scholar at the University of St Andrews. Through their Laidlaw research, Gitika delves into the histories of LGBTQ+ communities in South and East Asia over the last 200-300 years. Inspired by their own identity and heritage, Gitika explores how colonialism shaped societal attitudes and legal statuses. In conversation with Princess Agina, the Community and Project Management Executive at the Laidlaw Foundation, Gitika shares how their work aims to connect past influences with the present-day experiences of queer communities.

Quick-fire Answers

🎥 Currently Binging: Jujutsu Kaisen

📚 My top book recommendation: 

Maurice by E.M. Forster

🎶 My anthem: Hamilton: The Musical

🎵 Podcast obsession: Trivial Warfare

🌈 Something that made me feel joy recently: 

I went out for ice cream recently with a friend I hadn’t seen for a while, so that was really nice!

🎗️What message or cause would you like to champion?

One of the organizations that I was working with the most when I was in India was Sweekar. They are a group of parents of queer youth, who work to foster understanding and acceptance within families in North India (especially around Mumbai). I think they're doing some really fantastic work to bridge a gap between generations and between rural and city communities. 

Aki is a Laidlaw Scholar at the @University of St Andrews. You can find Aki on LinkedIn and learn more about their research journey here.

Become a Laidlaw Scholar to conduct a research project of your choice, develop your leadership skills, and join a global community of changemakers from world-leading universities.

Find out more about the Laidlaw Scholars Undergraduate Leadership and Research Programme.

🔦 Explore additional LGBTQ+ research from our scholars:: 

⚡️ Lia Iannarilli, a Laidlaw Scholar at the University of Toronto, is researching 'How Can Monstrous Portrayals Of Queer People In Literature Inform The Contemporary Politicization Of LGBTQ+ Identity In Reactionary British Media?'.

⚡️ Mukudzeiishe Madzivire, a Laidlaw Scholar at Columbia University, is researching 'Participatory Grantmaking in LGBTQ+ Rights Organizations in Southern Africa'.

⚡️ Keir Spring, a Laidlaw Scholar at Durham University, researched 'To what extent has the rise of new media in China influenced the formation and expression of a shared “tongzhi (LGBTQ) identity”?'.