Arrun Soma
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Arrun Soma | |
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Arrun Soma is a New Zealand journalist, media advisor and co-founder of Indian Origin Pride New Zealand.[1] IOPNZ is an organisation that aims to support and uplift Indian LGBTQIA+ people, their families and communities.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Soma was born in Wellington, New Zealand to parents Lalita and Prakash Soma.[3] Soma is of Gujarati heritage.[4] In 2003, Soma attended Victoria University of Wellington and studied Communication, Media Studies and Film Studies. Soma then attended The New Zealand Broadcasting School.
Activism
[edit]Soma recounts difficulty in his early life, "being in the closet, as many would know, is a really dark, dark and lonely place. It's a place where you are on your own, you don't know quite what to do, who to interact with."[5] It is through these personal experiences that Soma saw the need for support of intersectional communities of LGBTQIA+ people and Indian diasporic and migrant people.[2] Indian Origin Pride New Zealand was previously known as Wellington Indian Pride (formed in 2020) until it expanded and changed its name to IOPNZ in 2022.[1] Along with co-founder Shay Singh, Soma, through IOPNZ, organises events and peer support programmes for the rainbow Indian community.
Personal life
[edit]In 2018 Soma married his long-term partner, Jacob Vollebregt in a blended Christian- Hindu wedding in Wellington.[6] The couple have a son together, who was carried by one of their friends, who volunteered to be their surrogate.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Arrun Soma: Celebrating Intersectionality". express Magazine. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ a b "About us". Indian Origin Pride New Zealand. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ "Love is love says Arrun Soma, founder of Wellington Indian Pride". The Indian News. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ "Meet The Team". Indian Origin Pride New Zealand. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ IN(DIAN) AND OUT II RAINBOW COMMUNITY II I AM HE(R) CHARITABLE TRUST II WELLINGTON INDIAN PRIDE, retrieved 2024-01-21
- ^ Nicoll, Jared (2018-02-24). "TVNZ reporter ties the knot in 'big gay Indian wedding'". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ Higgins, Nadine (2023-05-15). "'Why am I at a courthouse?' - The long process for gay TV reporter to become a dad". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2024-01-21.