Ifti was perhaps the most prominent political and cultural voice in Chicago’s vibrant South Asian community. A Pakistani-American who left his native country in the 1960s to escape homophobia and an arranged marriage, Nasim spoke out early and often against war and racism promoted by some in his adopted country, and homophobia promoted by religious mis-leaders.

His first claim to fame was as the world’s first openly gay, Urdu language published poet, and eventually became in constant demand to appear at literary gatherings around the world. Locally he hosted the weekly Sargam radio program on WSBC-AM and was Midwest Editor of the Weekly News Pakistan. He personally helped many young LGBT Pakistanis traverse the same immigration obstacles that he surmounted decades earlier as a young man.

As the years went on, Ifti became one of the few people in the Devon Avenue community who could bring together the many diverse factions within the community when events demanded it. The fact that he could do this while being openly gay for decades, forcing many to look beyond their prejudices, showed the deep respect that he commanded.

In early 2003 in the run up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the George W. Bush administration hyped the forthcoming war by demanding the “registrations” of immigrants from various predominantly Muslim countries, a prelude to the deportations of many. Chicago’s large Pakistani-American community was particularly in the cross-hairs. In this atmosphere of fear, Ifti was the key man who was able to bring together the most multi-racial anti-war protest this city has ever seen – 5,000 marching in 15 degree weather on Devon Avenue in February 2003 demanding an end to the racist registrations and no war on Iraq.

The crowd on that bitterly cold day was about half South Asian, and half of the program was controlled by that community. Without Ifti’s contacts with the many political factions in that community, the protest would not have been possible. As it turns out, he devoted so much energy to it that on the night before it, he suffered his first heart attack and landed in critical condition in the hospital.

Even though for several years his health was not good, Ifti supported various GLN actions and anti-war actions we were involved in, continuing to contribute financially to GLN when his health prevented his personal participation. Here is a link which discusses his activism (along with that of our own Bob Schwartz) around the murder of Haroon Paryani, a Pakistani cab driver, by a politically connected white gay man, Michael Jackson. While many white gay “leaders” circled the wagons around Jackson, Ifti and us stood against this: http://chicagodispatcher.com/we-stand-with-paryani-p1536-1.htm

To the annoyance of some and the delight of the rest of us, Ifti was gender-bending long before it became fashionable. Back in about 2000 GLN was in the midst of a campaign against then-Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine over his refusal to criminally prosecute Chicago police officers who committed brutality against LGBTs and others. Devine and Daley were principally responsible for the failure to rein in the infamous Jon Burge. So when we learned that a local organization was going to give Devine its “Abraham Lincoln Award” in the heart of the Loop, we were particularly incensed, and announced a picket of people dressed up like Abraham Lincoln, complete with stove pipe hats and long black beards. Ifti did us one better – he showed up as Mary Todd Lincoln, complete with frilly, long-flowing dress.

Ifti’s sense of humor and graciousness will be greatly missed. For those of a younger generation who were not fortunate enough to have known him, you should know that Ifti was breaking barriers in Chicago’s LGBT and South Asian communities before many of you were even born. We are fortunate to be able to build on his legacy.


Here is Ifti on an October 2008 program discussing war and civil liberties:
http://blip.tv/gay-liberation-video/ifti-nasim-on-war-civil-liberties-oct-10-2008-5418074