This book explores the lives, relationships, and identities of gay men of South Asian backgrounds living in Australia. Drawing on in-depth interviews, it moves beyond conventional frameworks centred on sexuality alone to reveal the rich and complex personal worlds that shape belonging, wellbeing, and selfhood. Engaging critically with influential concepts such as “gay community” and “families of choice”, the book develops the innovative framework of “personal communities” to examine how family members, friends, romantic partners, and community groups shape meaningful lives for gay men. The book highlights the enduring importance of families of origin, challenging assumptions that queer lives are defined primarily by separation from family. It explores coming out as a relational process, the significance of friendship and romantic partnership, the role of LGBTQIA+ South Asian groups, and the ways individuals negotiate attachments, culture, and sexuality in diasporic contexts. Combining original empirical research with contemporary sociological theory, Gay South Asian Men in Australia makes an important contribution to scholarship on sexuality, migration, family, identity, and personal life. It will be of interest to researchers and students in sociology, gender and sexuality studies, migration studies, and South Asian diaspora studies.

Shiva Chandra is Honorary Research Fellow at the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, at The University of Sydney. His research interests include personal life, sexuality, wellbeing, gender, race, young people, and digital media. More specifically, Shiva’s work examines queer attachment, and belonging, including both offline and online experiences. Shiva specialises in the use of creative and innovative methods to investigate subjectivity and how individuals relate to their social worlds. His scholarship is underpinned by the belief that research carries social responsibility and should sit at the intersection of academia and community development, with the aim of improving people’s lives.