Jo Krishnakumar

Jo Krishnakumar (they/them) is a doctoral researcher in Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS, University of London, and a Junior Fellow at the Center for Applied Transgender Studies (CATS). They are interested in all things sex, sexuality, gender and how different people experience these wor(l)ds. Their work is informed by their constant unlearning of the privileges they have due to their social location as an oppressive caste person while also occupying space as a disabled trans person of colour. They run two independent projects; Almaarii, a visual ethnography of the 'closet' in South Asia and Trans/form, on understanding anti-trans violence in India.

My research interests lie in the intersection of identity formation, embodiments of violence, and the socio-political mobilisation that arises from these experiences. My doctoral thesis on sex worker collectives in South and West India explores some of these themes through documentary film and filmmaking, sex worker leaders' experiences of doing leadership work, and layered intersectional identities they take on and experience.    My interest in the layering of identity and its implications follows me to my public-facing research work at Trans/form, a digital pedagogical tool that seeks to understand the nature of anti-trans violence in India, extending to South Asia. Along with Trans/form, I also collaborate with artists and writers on Almaarii, a visual exploration of meaning-making of the word 'closet' by South Asian queer and trans people.     I enjoy learning about and working through creative approaches to learning and sharing knowledge, using my experience as a mental health workshop facilitator and peer support worker (currently with Mithra Trust, India) to experiment with pedagogy in different spaces, both physical and digital. 

1. Almaarii (www.almaarii.wordpress.com) 2. Trans/form (www.transformsouthasia.com) 3. Website: www.waytojo.com