Meet Andy

It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Andy Lalwani (he/him), visionary creative in digital culture and executive producer/on-camera reporter for What's Trending, as our next Pride storyteller.

At What's Trending, Andy (@andylalwani) oversees communication strategies, campaigns and partnerships to elevate the publisher's presence while also serving as a voice for the LGBTQ+ community. Under his leadership, What’s Trending has launched new verticals and shows, including Culture Q, the world’s first weekly queer-centric news series, on Revry TV. Other notable work includes hosting on MTV News, Gayety, and Noovie.

We deeply admire the work Andy has done to amplify the successes of LGBTQ+ folx in popular culture, so we invited him to share a bit of his story with us as a part of our #OWNYOURGLOW x PRIDE initiative.

Andy tells his story:

AAVRANI: How are you taking care of yourself these days?

Andy Lalwani: I have been trying to make sure that I get enough sleep lately and not work too hard. I think a lot of people have been trying to find a better work-life balance and I personally have been working on it myself.

AAVRANI: What rituals do you follow that bring you joy?

Andy: I really like to just take a moment to get outside and just enjoy a morning walk. Not everyone gets a chance to do that and just enjoy the simple things.

AAVRANI: What does being your most authentic self look like? Feel like?

Andy: My most authentic self would be simply the excitement to meet people and hear their stories. People always say I have this excited energy and I can feel it when I am around new people, ideas, and just new learning experiences.

AAVRANI: How has your relationship with yourself and your confidence evolved over time?

Andy: I think once I realized how to make time for myself overall and allow myself to get away from the distractions made me realize how great I was at not only my job and career but overall with my skill sets.

AAVRANI: What does #OWNYOURGLOW mean to you? How did you begin to #OWNYOURGLOW?

Andy: Owning your glow is finding the things that make you feel confident and stand out in the ways you feel that you do. I began to own my glow by learning what I was worth. I wouldn’t sign up for a project “just because,” and I would actually stand up for myself.

AAVRANI: Do you have a favorite Pride parade memory? Tell us about it!

Andy: I remember my first Pride parade was in Washington DC and I just got the chance to be a photographer for the event. It was my first time being at the festival and overall it was just such a great experience to see all of the smiles and happy faces of people feeling like they were seen.

AAVRANI: Can you talk about your identity journey and how that may or may not have been impacted by your South Asian heritage?

Andy: Working in media, I feel like for me that a lot of South Asian representation is extremely important. I have been trying to make sure that people like me are heard and seen even though our industry does not have a lot of people like myself.

AAVRANI: If you could correct one misconception of the South Asian LGBTQ+ community, what would that be?

Andy: I think that people think South Asians will work hard and do almost anything to get the job done but the thing is that we have morals and our own values that we need [to have] met.

AAVRANI: Okay, last question. What's your favorite South Asian at-home ritual?

Andy: I honestly just love making rice. Period. Carbs are my favorite.

Building a more equitable world for LGBTQ+ folx:

In partnership with Andy, we’ll be donating $1 for each ''like'' on his instagram post (up to $1,000) to support his charity of choice, The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a nonprofit organization and the worlds largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth. Head on over to Andy’s Instagram to participate. Want to donate to The Trevor Project directly? Check out their donation page here.

Challenging expectations means there is no standard in beauty. Join us as we celebrate members of the South Asian LGBTQ+ community and give back to their favorite charities. As we continue to share stories, you are encouraged to give us your thoughts, express your feelings, ask questions, and everything in between by emailing us at hello@aavrani.com or DMing us on Instagram @AAVRANI.

#OWNYOURGLOW