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“You will not remember me as that Asian, that immigrant, that Muslim, or that gay guy. You will remember me as that unicorn who built a throne.”

When Arozak Salam is presented with a rare opportunity to move from Indonesia to Australia in his early twenties, he makes a radical decision: leave everything behind and search for his true identity in a new country. From day one, Arozak is in survival mode as a loner immigrant struggling to find a home, job, and friends while wishing for love in a foreign land.

I Am That Unicorn depicts the mixture of Western and Eastern cultures from an immigrant’s perspective. It’s the tale of a proud gay man from a conservative Muslim family, a subsea engineer by day and a unicorn burlesque performer by night. It’s a journey of self-discovery spanning from the Australia Indonesia Youth Exchange Program to ConFest – the largest hippy festival in Australia, the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, the Mr Gay World pageant in Rome, a regional Burning Man in Western Australia, all the way to kinky clubs in Berlin and the inevitable Grindr debauchery. This book is a celebration of contrasts and life’s full spectrum.

'An utterly illuminating memoir about the cross-cultural and immigrant queer experience. In this irrepressible unicorn of a book, Arozak shows us there are many colours to the rainbow: heartbreak, tenacity, bravery, joy, and pride.' - Duc Dau, PhD (she/her), Queer activist and Researcher, Perth, Australia

'A memoir that is not only fun to read but also offers intimate insights, musings, and anecdotes about pushing boundaries, testing your limits, taking chances, and learning to be resilient. Eventful and contemplative, it becomes a call to arm for anyone on a quest to define their identity, freedom, and home. An engrossing and inspiring read for ‘unicorns’ of all shapes, sizes, and colors looking to grow their horns and charge.' - Rizal Iwan (he/him), Writer/Actor, Jakarta, Indonesia

'In I Am That Unicorn, Arozak invites us to journey with him as a gay Indonesian through the ups and downs of growing up different in a largely unwelcoming society. He is a true role model for audacity and tenacity in the face of adversity and challenges of living in the diaspora, settling in professional work and blooming in the flamboyance of pageants and burlesque. It shows that anything is possible if you try hard.' - Dédé Oetomo (he/him), Founder & Trustee of GAYa NUSANTARA, Surabaya, Indonesia

I Am That Unicorn: Memoir of an Indonesian Queer (eBook)

$11.99Price
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