LGBTQ History Month reminds us that our stories are sacred, not only as records of survival but as constellations of joy, healing and liberation. Dr. Raja Gopal Bhattar’s Queering Constellations is one such offering—a memoir that dissolves boundaries between reader and writer, inviting us to see our lives as interconnected stars shaping a collective sky of freedom.
Belief Behind the Book is a feature that gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the beliefs—or what I call “the why”—behind books written by progressive spiritual leaders. Inspired by the Ministry from the Margins Books program, Belief Behind the Book provides readers with practical tips to apply to their own belief systems.
Queering Constellations is an interactive memoir of a queer Hindu Buddhist immigrant told through letters, poetry, art and stories. Spanning Raja’s unique experiences that touch on universal themes of love, loss, pleasure, and self-acceptance, this book invites readers to reflect on their own journey through a distinctive approach: reading the book by coloring the art within and engaging with the writing prompts, thereby breaking the barrier between book and reader.
Not your traditional narrative memoir, Raja’s story is a groundbreaking text that ranges from baking lessons to heartbreaking coming-out stories and vulnerable letters bridging life and death. This book invites us to imagine worlds beyond our own and appreciate the many stars lighting our path to liberation.
Dr. Raja Gopal Bhattar (they/them/theirs) is an internationally recognized higher education advocate, artist and author. Hailing from a long lineage of Hindu priests and scholars from South India, Raja is fascinated by the spiritual and scriptural aspects of Hinduism, Buddhism and the power of queering rituals.
As a community organizer and education scholar, Raja seeks to elevate stories of both human struggle and joy, cultivating a universal constellation of the human divinity. They hold a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA and live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
When I asked them why they wrote this book, Raja responded thoughtfully: “When I think about memoirs I’ve read in my life, there are South Asian stories and LGBTQ stories, but rarely have I encountered South Asian LGBTQ memoirs that hold the complexity, beauty and joy of these narratives. While my story is not extraordinary, it’s an offering recognizing that each life, each story and each relationship we engage in changes us, hopefully for the better. I also wanted to challenge our cultural notions of what a memoir can look like, queering even the way the story is told; from personal letters to poetry, short stories and colorable art pieces, I remove the reader-author divide, recognizing that while our stories may seem unique and linear, our journeys are actually interconnected, dependent on this overlap and creates the possibility of collective healing.”
Upon asking Raja for one practical takeaway they hope readers have after reading their book, they responded, “If we remember that each breath and each interaction is divine, how could we be more compassionate with ourselves and others? Our stories are interwoven into constellations of liberation that have the power to inspire ripples of change. Our struggle is sacred. Our joy is sacred. Our healing is sacred.”
Queering Constellations reminds us that every story we tell—through grief or joy, ritual or resistance—adds light to the cosmos of liberation. Raja’s words call us to remember that our struggles are sacred, our joy is sacred, and together, our stories weave constellations bright enough to guide us all toward justice and belonging.
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Award-winning author of ten books, including The Authorpreneur Handbook. Founder and CEO of Tehom Center Publishing, a nonprofit press publishing feminist and queer authors, with a commitment to elevate BIPOC writers. Rev. Dr. Yarber’s work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPo, NPR, The Advocate, Ms. Magazine, the television show Tiny House Nation, and more. She travels the world speaking, preaching, publishing, and writing, but she can always be found at www.tehomcenter.org
