Biography

Ravindu Ranawaka (they/them) is a Sri Lankan American scholar, model, artist, and activist from Simi Valley, CA (Chumash land). They received their Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Asian American Studies from the University of California, Riverside. They are a second-year M.A. student in Asian American Studies. Their research focuses on transgender South Asian American temporal framings within queer nightlife spaces. Their thesis utilizes South Asian transfeminist epistemologies to articulate the impact of “trans birth” and “trans death” on “trans rebirth” and non/anti normative identity formations to communicate the disrupting of cisheteronormative “timelines” that are contingent on biological family and reproduction. In their free time, Ravindu enjoys going clubbing, styling outfits, thrifting, watching Drag Race, critical gossip, and critiquing str*ight culture.