Poet Alok Vaid-Menon goes where few others dare to go.

A gender non-conforming performance artist and writer who uses the pronoun they, Vaid-Menon has received international attention for challenging the gender binary. But what makes their work stand out is the way they have normalized discussions of shame, trauma and violence against trans and gender non-conforming people of color.

The power of Vaid-Menons art lies in their social justice advocacy, informed by their own journey in a world that often punishes non-binary people for being who they are. Vaid-Menon is open about facing harassment and violence on a daily basis but as the poet explains, I dont wait for validation from others, I give it to myself, darling!

Vaid-Menon was recently the youngest recipient of the prestigious Live Works Performance Act Award, granted to 10 performance artists across the world. In 2017, they released their inaugural poetry chapbook, Femme in Public.

The artist recently spoke to HuffPost about their work, identities, and what they envision for a future in which trans and gender non-conforming people are safe.