Nexus

Thank you to TASA for the student bursary that enabled me to travel and attend the 2025 conference. As a Doctoral Candidate based in Aotearoa New Zealand, receiving this support meant I could cover flights and supplement other travel costs.

The conference was an opportunity to present findings from my research project which explores how LGBTQIA+ African communities in Aotearoa New Zealand cultivate and nurture home, family and community in the context of their diasporic identity. As I am in the final year of my studies, being able to present and receive feedback on the methodology I designed was invaluable. Being able to share the ways in which I am analysing data and storying findings, and having that validated by peers was affirming.

I found the interactions I had with other researchers, scholars and sociologists enriching. As a multi-disciplinary early career researcher, the diversity of thematic groups and presentations aligned with my areas of interest: genders and sexualities, migration, ethnicity and multiculturism and, family and relationships. I often found myself slipping in and out of various rooms and buildings to soak up the different presentations and talks across these themes. I also appreciated the different workshops and opportunity to have a one-on-one with an academic book publisher.

One of my many highlights was attending and presenting alongside my Auckland University of Technology PhD coven (Agus, Faiqa, Mahreen, Tia and Gurpreet) supported by our Primary Supervisor Professor Camille Nakhid. Another was attending the Migration, Ethnicity and Multiculturism thematic group dinner, and connecting with other researchers whose studies and work has a focus on an aspect of queer migration or the queer migrant experience.

I left TASA with new contacts, clarity on next steps and feeling motivated for this chapter of my PhD journey.

Thank you again to TASA's Executive Committee and conference organisers for the work they poured into the 2025 conference.