Samirah Boomi is a queer Tamil American writer and poet. Most of their poems and essays focus on personal empowerment and healing and are shared publicly so as to foster community healing and growth.
On their website, Samirah notes that they write for "bad" Asian daughters and for anyone who feels rejected within their communities. Their poems guide readers along their personal journey of rejection, healing, and ultimately re-connection.
When asked about what their work means to them, they share the following:
"It is hard to say what my art means to me because it's my language. It’s not a what but a how - it’s a means. Writing is how I breathe. Inhale and exhale. It’s a constant cycle of input and output between myself and my community."
Samirah recently published their poem, "Coming Out is Not My Finish Line" on their website. They recall their experience of coming out to their mom and feeling hard-pressed to regard this moment as the finish line of their queer journey.
In their piece, they ultimately endeavor to reassess what has become an idealized culmination of one's triumph over oppression, and urges their readers to consider that individual freedom cannot be truly attained without collective freedom.
You can read their full piece here and support their art by following them on Instagram (@sa.mi.ra.ni) and on their website!
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