Leila Malikyar

Leila Malikyar is a queer, nonbinary Afghan-American scholar and teacher whose work has long sought to advance Ethnic Studies by incorporating gender and sexuality and foregrounding Arab and Muslim communities that have long been marginalized in ES. Their work consistently demonstrates a profound commitment to centering queer and trans lives, challenging imperial narratives, and building spaces that champion the perspectives of those marginalized by traditional academia.

In 2021, Leila graduated summa cum laude from the Ethnic Studies Master’s Program in the CoES at SFSU. Their M.A. thesis, Deviant Intimacies: Imperial Readings of Afghan Masculinity, illuminates how Western portrayals of Afghan men as "sexual monsters" have been deployed to justify imperialist violence against Afghanistan.

Leila’s commitment to Queer and Trans Ethnic Studies extends to their teaching. Since 2023, Leila has been teaching one of the foundational courses in the QTES Minor in RRS: “Intro to Queer and Trans Ethnic Studies.” This course has allowed Leila the opportunity to create an inclusive, collaborative classroom environment wherein their core aims are to equip students with the tools to critique systems of power, foster peer learning, and engage in community-centered work.