Queer lives are becoming increasingly visible in writings and art, in demanding for rights, in challenging the law, in voicing protests, in starting organisations, in making an online presence; robust, vibrant and diverse voices are being heard in India and South Asia. This book is an attempt to add to those voices.
The Gay Desi
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Interviews
12 posts
Aam Gaysi : I Am An Undocumented Immigrant
My first girlfriend outed me when we were 13. I told her that I loved her. She asked me what I meant by that – whether I loved her in the same way a guy loves a girl.
Jab We Met : I Fell In Love With My Partner’s Son Before I Fell In Love With Her
We learned to communicate and not be afraid of difficult topics. Even though we have our fights and disagreements, our lives fit seamlessly together.
Interview : The Mr. Quirky, Harish Iyer
Whoring for a cause is something that all of us should engage in, though the flip side is that people would brand you as using the cause for getting famous.
Aam Gaysi : I Was A Big Homophobe
My ex girlfriend who was apparently straight and was always discreet about our relationship always introduced me to her friends/family as her “Gay Best Friend”. At first I was pretty cool about it but after a certain point it was one of the major reasons for our break up.
Interview : Author, Vivek Shraya
I feel like everyday the book surprises me. Last year it was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award and was picked up by several post-secondary institutions as a text book. Consequently, the first run sold out in just a little over a year and I am currently getting ready for the release of the second edition which features a new story and illustration.
Interview : Miss Congeniality, Kashish Chopra (Part 2)
It is easy to plan the “perfect date,” but it is hard to have the perfect date. To me a perfect date isn’t about what we do but rather about how we do it. The best dates are the ones that organically plan and reveal themselves.
I have planned and been on of lot of dates that were meant to be “perfect” and usually everything that could possibly go wrong did. I’m pretty low maintenance but my perfect date is all about the feeling behind it and who it is with – not what the date is.
Interview : Miss Congeniality, Kashish Chopra (Part 1)
All the trials and tribulations made me a stronger Indian woman. Despite all the clichés people may associate with pageants and the idea of feminine Desi women, through Miss India I was able to stand proudly as a dignified, educated, Indian woman who understands how my heritage and culture empowers my identity. As time goes on, there is an increasing visibility for feminine lesbians. Sometimes people are less likely to assume we are gay because of stereotypes associated with gay women.
Gaysi Podcast 6.0 : The Valentines Day Special
I know I know…MJ announcing a Valentines Special *anything* is as good as BJP-Shiv Sena collation promising a corruption free existence in Mumbai in the upcoming BMC elections.
Spotlight On A Desi : Part 3
Two months later, after many sleepless nights and hard work devoted to the project and teaching everything I knew about sexual variance to my group members, the presentations began. The first group presented theirs on Media, Sex, and Violence. Interestingly enough, they quoted Homosexuality to be one of the “main negative effects” of media today, because it “projects it as positive, when it’s clearly an abnormality.” They also talked about how the APA (American Psychological Association) still views homosexuality as a mental disorder (which in fact has not been the case since 1973), and how it was sad that the media was propagating that it was normal.
Spotlight On A Desi : Part 2
My Blog is fairly new and since I’m so busy with studies these days, I don’t really get a chance to update it as often as I’d like and thus publicize it. This is the reason I haven’t really faced any opposition to my blog posts yet, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time. I have faced a lot of opposition to my “public” posts on Facebook regarding homosexuality. They’ve always been very Islam-centric, and talking to them at a time when I wasn’t too familiar with what the Quran said on these topics, wasn’t the smartest thing to do. But I suppose it all turned out well since it made me do a lot more research and get familiar with what the Quran says and find more liberal interpretations of the only verse in the Quran that talks about homosexuality.
Spotlight On A Desi : Part 1
Editor’s note: In our New Year post, we promised to bring new views and stories from our brethren in the subcontinent, outside India. A new contributor, Rangeelidastan interviews Sadaf Mujeeb, a young Pakistani activist and straight ally, exclusively for Gaysi Family. Sadaf describes herself as a rights activist which “includes but is not limited to, Human Rights; LGBT rights, religious and ethnic minority rights, and women rights, and of course non-human animal rights”. Rangeelidastan says, “Despite the numerous pressures Sadaf has had to face, she is steadfast in her support for LGBT rights. Her determination to do what is right and change mindsets through facts and reasoning are inspirational for all LGBT/human rights activists everywhere.”
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Gaysi is a space where the Desi-Gay community comes together and shares personal stories, their triumphs and failures, their struggles and their dreams, their hopes and despair. And in doing so, gives other gaysis a sliver of hope too. More
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