I am watching and revolting at the latest media spectacle in the United States: Gaybie suicides. My first thought is “Great! The mainstream media finally woke up to a problem that has existed since before I was born. I don’t want to hear about it. Let me get back to my life.”
Examining the specific intersections between Queer and Commonwealth histories, this panel considers in the first instance the ideological baggage that Commonwealth nations share with reference to the criminalization of homosexuality. Of the 70 countries that penalize consensual same-sex acts, more than 40 share this colonial history. What does this historical inheritance mean for gay communities today? And what future directions will this common heritage take?
I grew up in two very conservative, religious cultures: my home was Hindu and Brahmin and the school I attended a Convent. Neither of these religions was forced down my throat at any point. My parents, even through, in practice, Hindu, are in personal belief, mostly agnostic, as are the grandparents I liked best. We did however, live with my more conservative grandparents. My school, when I started there, was just as liberal. Sure, we had prayers in the morning, and all of us were taught how to cross. They were paranoid about boyfriends and the length of our skirts but no, it was all mostly a cultural thing: Indian suburbia in general is like that. It had less to do with Catholicism than with the general conservative atmosphere.
…
“That’s nothing to be ashamed of. I am so relieved”, she continued, “I thought you were an addict. It’s natural to be gay. They have discovered it in over eighty species of animals.”
Not exactly where I was directing the conversation but at least she was okay. Secretly I thanked Nat Geo and its reach towards a Marathi audience. I sat up, facing her I asked “So you are okay with that?”
Finally, a midnight shower
in the candlelight
All alone.
Exorcising you.
The desire
The mischief
No residue left
Of you
Of you and me
Making a memory
Now the steam …
I woke up on my sofa in the living room with ten or so of those big, white men looking down into my face. My partner was there and he explained that I had a seizure right after I got out the shower. It made sense – the last thing I remembered was brushing the tangles out of my hair, and I could feel that one side was uncombed. The same thing happened where I could barely talk because I had only just come back to consciousness, but this time I at least understood what had happened whether or not I was able to verbalize it straight away to the paramedics.
There’s been much internet-related gay news this week. Some of it, the first of its kind, and some, downright sad. Eighteen year old Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University, New Jersey, committed suicide is thought to have jumped off the George Washington bridge after a video of him being intimate with another man went viral on the internet.
In a few weeks of having met and chatted with some, I met the ‘gang’ and this gang of six-seven women became the path way to meeting new people. Hanging out with them felt awesome. Like I belonged… We dressed alike – skinnys and converse, had similar tastes and yes, we loved women! Midnight drives, dinners, long telephone conversations, shopping sprees, and coffee sessions – all became de rigueur and suddenly, I was hanging with them every night!
It is so tragic that a gay student has taken his life off due to bullying and invasion of privacy. Even after years of Mathew Sheppard and countless of registered and unregistered statistics (read suicides, murder… ), many countries and states do not yet have litigation to protect minorities. But isn’t this a social problem? How much does it take for someone to respect others’ privacy? Why makes assholes do things that are so destructive?
I have personally done everything considered black spots in our society. Live in relationships, pre-marital sex, being separated when pregnant, living alone, single mother, relationships and live ins after separation, being in a relationship with a younger man. I have no peers that I consider worthy of listening to. And I don’t respect this fraud and conniving thing we call samaj. Luckily, thankfully, my family has always trusted that I would do the right thing and have always been there when I get my nose bloodied. I try and do the same for the children.
“There is a gang sir, not just one. The way they look, the way they talk, and the way they walk, yuck! It makes me throw up!” said Kesavan, making a disgusted face.
“Women and children who visit the temple are so scared of them. Don’t these Aravaanis realise that the temple is a sacred place and that they should not come and be a nuisance here?”
[...]
I don’t want to be
your wife;
lover;
girlfriend;
mother;
best friend.
I want to be
be a contemporary courtesan
to be your intellectual equal,
To be your skilled lover,…
Folks, we’re really thrilled to announce that Magdalene Jeyarathnam, who is the Director at the Center For Counselling in Chennai has very kindly agreed to answer any questions you might have about being LGBT.
If you’ve wanted to talk to someone with credentials about the struggles you’re going through, or your friends and family members are going through – this is your chance!
Bengaluru will celebrate its third Bengaluru Pride and Karnataka Queer Habba in November this year. The Queer Habba events will be organised during the latter half of November and will culminate with the Pride March itself on Nov 28th (coincident with the Delhi Pride March). These events are being organised by CSMR (Campaign for Sexuality Minorities Rights), a collective of LGBTQ and allied groups in Bangalore.
It was a bright sunshiny afternoon- warm with a cool breeze. The guests gathered as the lovely ladies promised to love and cherish each other as they exchanged rings. The party continued as the guests drank beer, barbecued, laughed, ate, and mingled. As I enjoyed this lovely festivities, the non drama filled, so unIndian shaadi I couldn’t help but wonder how is someone’s happiness a threat to the moral fabric of society?
LABIA (Lesbians And Bisexuals In Action) and RCWS (Research Center for Women’s Studies), SNDT University invite you to the release of the 13th issue of SCRIPTS.
“Most” of the desis I met in college came from conservative, religious, upper-class families. They tended to only hang out with other rich desis and would only date other rich desis (of the “opposite” gender, of course). The farthest their adventures would go would be a Hindu desi dating a Muslim desi, and their parents would end up driving them apart.
20+ year old, Preeti, has been detained at the Thiru Vi Ka Police Station (Chennai) since 20th September. Preeti, a former employee of Jaya TV, came out as a lesbian about 2 months ago, and has expressed her desire to be with her partner. Predictably, she has run into opposition with her family who want her to get married to a man against her wishes.
You can help us to approach the administration of your college, or get us some contacts regarding the same. We need campus spaces to hold QCI meetings because it’ll allow us to get more visible among the general college-going youth and initiate a queer call.
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