Tarek Mohamed (TT) is an Egyptian activist, scholar and writer currently pursuing a PhD in Anthropology at UC Irvine. We were thrilled to have Tarek back after his first episode in June 2020!
Tarek discussed the time he spent in Egypt since our first conversation, and his concern over the shift in the political climate there. He noted a rise of military nationalism and American-style neocolonialism, and how pandemic conditions have helped fuel this trajectory.
Tarek mentioned several projects coming up under his creative studio House of TT, including a graphic novel called “36 Love Letters to my Dead Abusive Mother” and “Furtunate Tails: The Pet Friends Who Saved My Best Friends.”
We also talked about how heteronormative biological family unit functions with the state as a tool of control, and the difficulties of getting effective mental health help as queer people in SWANA or in diaspora.