Harvard Welcomes Drag Performer Kareem Khubchandani as Visiting Professor

Harvard University announced over the summer that it has appointed Kareem Khubchandani, a scholar from Tufts University, as a visiting professor in the Studies of Gender and Sexuality program. Khubchandani, known by his stage name “LaWhore Vagistan,” is a drag performer whose persona plays an essential role in his teaching approach.

Often performing as “LaWhore,” Khubchandani has integrated his drag identity into his academic work for over a decade. His drag persona has been featured in a music video titled “Sari,” and he has previously discussed the origins of his stage name in interviews, revealing a personal connection to his South Asian heritage and cultural themes.

In his classes at Harvard, Khubchandani plans to teach two courses: “Queer Ethnography” in the fall and “RuPaulitics: Drag, Race, and Desire” in the spring, with the latter focusing on the popular TV show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Known for authoring books such as Decolonizer Drag and Ishstyle: Accenting Gay Indian Nightlife, he is also releasing a new book this fall titled Lessons in Drag: A Queer Manual for Academics, Artists, and Aunties.