Ifti Nasim

Ifti Nasim (1946 – July 22, 2011) was a gay Pakistani American poet.[1] Having moved to the United States to escape persecution for his sexual orientation, he became known locally for establishing Sangat, an organization to support LGBT south-Asian youths, and internationally for publishing Narman, a poetry collection that was the first open expression of homosexual themes in the Urdu language.[2] Nasim was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1996.[3]

Ifti Nasim
BornSeptember 14, 1946
Faisalabad, Pakistan
DiedJuly 22, 2011 (2011-07-23) (aged 65)
Chicago, Illinois, US
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPoet

Personal life

Nasim was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan (then called Lyallpur) shortly before independence, a middle child in a large family. As a teenager he felt ostracized and alone, and was unable to live life as openly gay. At the age of 16, Nasim was shot by a soldier in the leg while reading a politically charged poem, during a protest against martial law,[4] which left lasting injuries for Nasim causing him to be unable to perform classical Kathak Dancing. at the age of 21 he emigrated from Pakistan to the US, inspired in part by an article in Life magazine that he recalls describing the US as "the place for gays to be in".[5][6] and in other part due to the fact that his father was trying to marry him of to a girl, leading Nasim to lie to his father and tell him he was going to America to visit.[7] Several of his siblings later followed him to the US, and he eventually naturalized as a US citizen.

Ifti worked at a gay bar named Bistro owned by Eddie Dugan as a Gogo Dancer. Meeting his lover Prem, a relationship that lasted a while till Ifti discovered prem was married, after 3-4 years however the two met again and Ifti learnt that Prem was divorced, leading the two to date again and eventually became a long lasting couple.

In 1986 he co-founded Trikone which was later renamed to SANGAT/CHICAGO,inc. The company was offically incorporated on 30th of November 1998 and involutinarily dissolved on 13 April 2007.[8] Ifti Nasim died in hospital in Chicago on July 22, 2011 following a heart attack, at the age of 64.

Poetry

The publication for which Ifti Nasim was best known was a book of poetry entitled Narman, a word meaning "hermaphrodite" or "half-man, half-woman" in Persian. It met immediate controversy in Pakistan and had to be distributed underground; even the printer of the book, belatedly realizing its contents, was reported to shout, "Take these unholy and dirty books away from me, or I'll set them on fire!" However, its frankness inspired a younger generation of Pakistani poets to write "honest" poetry, a genre becoming known as "narmani" poetry.[9]

He later released Myrmecophile in 2000,[9] and Abdoz in 2005.[2]

References
  1. Rath, Akshaya K. and Rasheda Parveen. “The ‘Mating Dance’: Love and Exile in Ifti Nasim and Agha Shahid Ali.” Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences XX: 2015-16. 74-91. 00972-1401. http://14.139.58.199:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/4935
  2. Schmich, Mary (27 July 2011). "He didn't want to fight, but Ifti Nasim could provoke". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
  3. "Inductees to the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
  4. "Tullman.com". www.tullman.com. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  5. "Pakistani American poet who helped Indian gays migrate dies". Times of India. IANS. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
  6. Jepsen, Cara (22 April 2001). "From Pakistan to Roger Park". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
  7. Khubchandani, Kareem (2020-03-09). "Oral history interview with Ifti Nasim". Archival Creators Fellowship Program. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  8. "Corporation/LLC Search/Certificate of Good Standing". ilsos.gov. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  9. "Ifti Nasim". Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
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