Raga D'Silva: There Is No Deadline for Becoming Yourself
- Jun 14
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 17
"Your story matters. Your voice matters. Your existence matters."
Few people embody these words more powerfully than Raga D'Silva.
An award-winning speaker, LGBTQ+ activist and co-founder of Older Queer Voices, a growing movement dedicated to celebrating, preserving and amplifying the stories of older LGBTQ+ people, Raga has dedicated her work to ensuring that voices too often overlooked are heard, valued and remembered.
Through podcasts, events, roundtables and the annual Older Queer Voices Festival, she is helping to build a future where older queer people are recognised not only for the challenges they have faced, but for the wisdom, resilience and contribution they continue to bring to our communities.
This summer, Raga returns to ELLA Festival Mallorca 2026 as part of ELLA Talks and will also join conversations at ELLA Beach, bringing her unique perspective on identity, belonging, storytelling and intergenerational connection.
But before becoming an activist, speaker and advocate, Raga was carrying a story of her own.
And that story changed everything.
The Story She Wasn't Telling
When we asked Raga what first made her understand the power of storytelling, her answer was both honest and deeply moving.
"For most of my life, I was a storyteller who never told her own story.I built businesses, led teams, raised a family and created a successful life, yet there was a huge part of me that remained hidden."
For many years, she lived with a version of herself that the world could see and another that remained unspoken.
Everything changed when she came out later in life.
"Every time I shared my story, someone would quietly tell me theirs.That is when I realised that storytelling is not simply about being heard. It is about giving others permission to speak."
That realisation became the foundation of everything that followed.
For Raga, stories are not simply personal experiences. They are bridges between people.
They create connection.
They challenge assumptions.
They open conversations.
And sometimes, they give someone the courage to finally tell their own truth.
"Stories create connection, challenge assumptions and build empathy in ways that statistics and policies often cannot.I have seen stories change minds, open conversations and create communities."
For Raga, storytelling is not simply communication.
It is a form of activism.
Coming Out Later in Life
As a queer woman of Indian origin, Raga often reflects on the cultural expectations she grew up with around family, marriage and success.
For many years, she tried to become the person others expected her to be.
Coming out later in life was not about changing who she was.
It was about finally embracing who she had always been.
"Coming out later in life was not about becoming someone new.It was about finally allowing myself to be who I had always been."
It is a powerful reminder that authenticity has no age limit.
That there is no timeline for self-discovery.
And that becoming yourself is not a single moment, but an ongoing journey.
"The journey taught me that self-acceptance is a lifelong practice.Identity is not something we discover overnight. We uncover it layer by layer."
For Raga, the experience transformed her understanding of courage.
"Courage is not the absence of fear.Courage is choosing authenticity despite fear."
Visibility Is Not the Same as Belonging
Having lived in India, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Raga has developed a unique perspective on LGBTQ+ visibility and community.
One lesson stands out above all others.
"Living across three countries has shown me that visibility and belonging are not the same thing."
While many conversations focus on visibility, Raga believes belonging is the deeper challenge.
"In some places, LGBTQ+ people may have legal protections but still experience isolation.In other places, strong communities can exist despite limited visibility."
For her, belonging is about much more than being seen.
It is about feeling valued.
Connected.
Accepted.
"True belonging comes from feeling seen, valued and connected."
Her experiences have also taught her that there is no single LGBTQ+ story.
Every experience is shaped by culture, race, age, class, geography, family and personal history.
"The more diverse the stories we hear, the more complete our understanding of our community becomes."
Why Older Queer Voices Matter
One of the driving forces behind Raga's work is her determination to challenge ageism and ensure that older LGBTQ+ voices remain part of the conversation.
Too often, she says, society celebrates youth while overlooking experience.
And the LGBTQ+ community is not immune to that reality.
"Ageism remains one of the last socially accepted forms of prejudice, and it exists within LGBTQ+ communities as much as anywhere else."
Many older queer people lived through periods when simply being themselves could come at enormous personal cost.
Some risked losing jobs.
Some risked losing relationships.
Some risked losing their sense of safety and belonging.
Yet their stories are rarely centred.
"Older queer people are living archives of our history."
For Raga, these stories matter not because they belong to older people.
They matter because they are part of our collective history.
"Their stories deserve visibility not because they are older, but because they matter."
Through Older Queer Voices, she is helping to preserve those stories and ensure they are shared with future generations.
What We Can Learn From Each Other
One of the themes Raga is most passionate about is intergenerational dialogue.
She believes that every generation has something valuable to contribute.
"I believe learning must flow in both directions."
Younger LGBTQ+ people can learn about resilience, activism and the struggles that helped secure many of the rights they enjoy today.
Older generations can learn from the creativity, confidence and inclusivity that younger queer communities bring.
For Raga, the goal is not for one generation to teach another.
It is to create conversations.
"Intergenerational dialogue is not about one generation teaching another.It is about creating a conversation where everyone grows."
In a world that often feels divided, that message feels more important than ever.
Building a Global Movement
Through Older Queer Voices, Raga is helping to create a growing international movement dedicated to preserving LGBTQ+ stories and ensuring that older voices remain visible.
The project brings together community members, activists, employers, policymakers and allies to explore what it means to age with dignity, visibility and belonging.
Looking ahead, her vision is ambitious.
"My dream is for Older Queer Voices to become a global movement that ensures older LGBTQ+ people are seen, heard and valued."
But beyond the movement itself, her hope is deeply human.
"I want to see more opportunities for older and younger generations to learn from each other, collaborate and build community together.I want our stories preserved, celebrated and shared."
Most importantly, she hopes future generations inherit not only the victories of those who came before them, but also their wisdom, resilience and humanity.
"Stories are how we pass those gifts forward."
Why Festivals Like ELLA Matter
When asked about the role festivals like ELLA play, Raga's answer comes without hesitation.
Connection.
"Festivals like ELLA create something that many people are searching for: connection."
In a world where many people feel disconnected, unseen or misunderstood, spaces like ELLA matter.
They bring together people from different countries, generations and life experiences who might never otherwise meet.
They create opportunities for conversations, friendships and collaborations that continue long after the festival ends.
"For many attendees, ELLA is not simply an event.It is a reminder that they are part of something larger than themselves."
Community is built through shared experiences.
And festivals create those moments in abundance.
Returning to ELLA Festival Mallorca
When asked what stayed with her after attending ELLA Festival last year, Raga's answer was immediate.
"What stayed with me was the sense of joy and possibility."
She remembers women from different backgrounds, cultures and generations connecting with openness and warmth.
"There was an openness and warmth that made conversations feel meaningful very quickly."
But one memory stands above the rest.
"I also remember the power of seeing so many queer women occupying space unapologetically.Visibility matters, but collective visibility is transformative."
This year, Raga returns to ELLA Talks and ELLA Beach with one goal in mind.
To open conversations.
Real conversations.
The kind that help people feel less alone.
"I would love to open a conversation about the stories we are still carrying silently."
She is particularly interested in the experiences, identities, dreams and fears people have never shared.
And in what becomes possible when we create spaces safe enough for those stories to emerge.
"Some of the richest discussions happen when people with different life experiences come together with curiosity rather than assumptions."
A Message to Our Community
Before ending our conversation, we asked Raga what she would like to say to queer women and non-binary people who are still struggling to feel seen, heard or accepted.
Her answer was simple.
Powerful.
And unforgettable.
"You are not alone, even if it feels that way right now."
"There is no deadline for becoming yourself."
And finally, the message that sits at the heart of everything she does:
"Your story matters.Your voice matters.Your existence matters.There are communities waiting to welcome you exactly as you are."
At ELLA Festival Mallorca 2026, attendees will have the opportunity to hear Raga's story, reflect on their own experiences and take part in conversations that bridge generations, cultures and life journeys.
Because ELLA is more than a festival.
It is a place where stories are shared, connections are formed and belonging becomes possible.
And if there is one thing Raga D'Silva reminds us, it is this:
Every story matters.
And sometimes, telling your story can help someone else find the courage to tell theirs.
