He notes, "One thing which always fascinated me was the Tradition of Vashem or StriVesham. As we see in sampradaya Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Yakshaganam. However, this transformation of identity in the west was called Drag. Literally abbreviated as Dress Resembling a Girl, which soon turned its definition as Dress Resembling a Gender”.
By Raqeeb Apr 16 2020 |
I was so excited to see him and was immediately attracted to him, and this attraction only grew through the hours and hours we spent talking to each other on call.
By Ujwal Vaid Apr 14 2020 |
Marin was raised by two women: her mother and her mother’s female partner, making Marin the only world leader to have been raised by a same-sex couple.
By Kanav Narayan Sahgal Apr 13 2020 |
As montage, everything appears as a series of windows, all of them just frames, one after the other. The form is predetermined. I only meet my friends when we say goodbye or when I have to pay my dues. Then it falls apart.
By Shinjini Dey Apr 8 2020 |
In a country like India where both mental health and non-binary identities are topics that are neglected despite being essential parts of an individual's identity, it can be quite challenging to navigate through issues regarding the same.
By whatnowanna Apr 7 2020 |
Despite the gloomy mood and prevailing uncertainty, I made a decision right at the beginning of the lockdown on March 25 – I would use this period to heal myself.
By Gautam Mehra Apr 4 2020 |
I am eternally grateful to all the lovely contributors to this initiative. Please check them out and support your fellow artists.
By Shiva Raichandani Apr 3 2020 |
Being South Asian, gay and from Islamic upbringings was very hard for them both and extremely difficult for people to understand.
By Pooja Nair Apr 2 2020 |
I took 25 years to reclaim my womanhood in a world that militantly tried to make me believe I was a man. This lie was declared at birth and reinforced throughout childhood, at home, at school, in short, in every institution that was meant for my development.
By NOFILTERSASSY Mar 31 2020 |
Gay men’s desire to emulate these standards of perfection often induce negative feelings towards their body and physical appearance.
By Gautam Mehra Mar 30 2020 |
Mental health problems become more pronounced when they are discussed in the context of the queer community. Although official statistics of India’s queer population are not available, it has been estimated that 6-8% of the country’s total population comprises queer people.
By Gautam Mehra Mar 29 2020 |
The proposal however happened on December 13th at Kew Gardens, London. The day started with Hayle putting up 100 photos of us together in our bedroom and putting them into the shape of the words I love you.
By Pooja Nair Mar 24 2020 |
the giggle bubbling at the edge of her throat and eyes glinting with mischief
figures can't encompass the unadulterated joy of playing a prank
By Yashvi Peeti Mar 23 2020 |
When I finished browsing through this heavy pink-covered hardcover book that has Paolo Sergio de Castro’s image on the front – who died of AIDS and the book is dedicated to him – with “wish you were here” in golden color, I was overwhelmed with emotions. These 128 pages, cover to cover, carries the making of someone; multiple landscapes that change as abruptly as does the subjects of assessment of Sunil.
By Saurabh Sharma Mar 19 2020 |
Being a collection of vignettes doesn’t mean that this book doesn’t have a structure. It does. Divided in three part — bucketing several private events that happened between 1968–1997, 1997–2006, and after 2006, and juxtaposing them with the social reality in France — this memoir takes us through the author’s internal dilemmas and struggles.
By Saurabh Sharma Mar 18 2020 |
The thing I have noticed clearly and have heard from other queer people is that the spaces with cishet moderators often have an air of safety being at least partially compromised, facing ‘cishet-splaining’ of queer issues to downright domination of queer spaces.
By Abigail Mar 14 2020 |
My aunt, who I came out to almost a week before had outed me to my parents. (Yes, I didn’t get a chance to properly come out to my parents!) All the details that I gave her about me discovering my sexuality, the girl that I was dating and how I pictured my future (so that she doesn’t lose her mind completely) was broken down and manipulated into bits and given to my parents.
By Sneha Jhawar Mar 13 2020 |
Not surprisingly, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom’s survey found that 35% of BDSM practitioners identify as bisexual. This could be due to the fact that sexual deviation and fetishes, as well as the LGBTQ+ community, fall under the same social umbrella of sexual liberation –a deviation from social norms.
By Asfiyah Mar 9 2020 |
The sit-in protest at Bilal Bagh is fast approaching its 30 day mark, and there’s no stopping. But the toll that constant protesting takes on its young, queer participants is heavy.
By Sasha R Mar 6 2020 |
Many queer people are initiated into using meth, cocaine, heroin and other drugs during PNP sexual encounters. Using these drugs in a group setting increases feelings of intimacy and pleasure.
By Gautam Mehra Mar 4 2020 |
