Fantasy and Sexuality
The Editorial: Fantasy and Sexuality
Fantasy is make-believe. We make something up and then we believe it in order to make it exist. However, in some contexts, the make-believe is relegated to the realm of mere ‘play’ (as opposed to the ‘real’), but there’s no denying that make-believing is a crux of human civilisation – children naturally play make-believe games that steer them in their growth, adults use the hypothetical in their thought to make everyday decisions, and both children and adults rely on fantastical stories and myths to construct a common meaning that contributes to creating the world as we know it.
By TARSHI
November 22, 2016
ड्रैग और क्रॉस ड्रेसिंग के कई रंग
निरंतर से ऐनी और नीलिमा द्वारा यह बात लगभग दो हफ्ते पहले गाँव पठा, ललितपुर जिला, महरौनी ब्लॉक के सूचना केंद्र की…
By Nirantar
November 22, 2016
The Politics of Fantasy: Is There Room For Fantasy in Feminist Activism?
Even in these times when sexuality is talked about more than ever before, even as we are beginning to talk about sexual pleasure and not just violations, acknowledging our fantasies isn’t easy, particularly if they are of the kind that seem to defy our politics.
By Jaya Sharma
November 15, 2016
Reel Review: Desire and Conciliation in Raj Kapoor’s Satyam Shivam Sundaram
Satyam Shivam Sundaram (Truth, God, Beauty) is the story of Rupa (Zeenat Aman), an archetypical abhagan (wretched girl), whose misery begins at her birth when her mother dies. She is immediately declared an accursed child and is shunned by others. Later, a freak accident results in scalding oil splashing across one side of her face, leaving her permanently scarred. Nevertheless, she goes about her daily life – alone, yet content.
By Syed Saad Ahmad
The Curious Case of Eudaimonia: A Conte de Fée for Finding Your Way
Eudaimonia, ever the kind soul, made every effort to befriend her cousins who initially treated her as a pest. Maybe it was out of spite for the love Eudaimonia received from the elders in the house and that too which she often left in her wake, but before long her cousins turned their attention to her in ways so cruel, the light in Eudaimonia’s eyes began to wane and it would be a very long time before it shone through them again.
By Sheba Remy Kharbanda
November 15, 2016
बीडीएसएम, यौन सम्बन्ध, फैन्टसी, पोर्न, और यथार्थ
मैं एक लेखिका हूँ । बीडीएसएम (BDSM) के बारे में लिखती हूँ । एक दशक से ज़्यादा हो गया मुझे …
By Asmi
November 15, 2016
Women’s Sexual Fantasies – the Latest Scientific Research
Dr Raj Persaud Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Jenny Bivona Clinical psychologist A team of psychologists led by a woman has uncovered some…
By Curated Content
November 15, 2016
कल्पनाएँ – हमारा आनंद, हमारा मामला, हमारा अधिकार
जो वर्जित है उससे मन ही मन सोचकर ख़ुशी पाने के अलावा, यौन कल्पनाएँ हमें सुरक्षित रूप से खोज करने का और बिना किसी प्रतिबद्धता के, बिना किसी परिणाम की चिंता के, विभिन्न तरीकों से रहने और उनका आनंद लेने का मौका देती हैं। यह कुछ-कुछ ऐसा है जैसे हम बिना खाना बनाने की झंझट के, या बर्तन साफ़ करने या अपच और वज़न बढ़ने की चिंता के भी अपने मन की चीज़ खाने का मज़ा ले सकते है।
By Radhika Chandiramani
November 15, 2016
India’s raped comic ‘super hero’ returns to fight acid attacks
“The reason I chose this subject is because there’s a clear co-relation between rape and acid attacks. The patriarchy, the social stigma and the attitude towards victims are the same in both. In fact, I think the lack of empathy for acid attack survivors is ten times more because their scars are visible,” he says.
By Curated Content
November 15, 2016
Issue In Focus: Fantasies – Our Pleasure, Our Business, Our Right
Sexual fantasies allow us to conjure up worlds that we want to play with, but in reality, we may not really want. A fantasy is different from a wish. So people may have sexual fantasies about things that they may never act out – like having sex in front of a multitude of onlookers, or with a zebra, or a famous film star or the neighbour next door. And it’s all safe.
By Radhika Chandiramani
November 3, 2016
The Girl Who Dreamt an Impossible Dream
The dream soon turned into an obsession, fuelled by my kind and supportive father who would’ve done the same for me no matter what I had decided to obsess over. Before I knew it, my whole life revolved around cricket. I had a room full of posters of men who played cricket, and a brain full of cricket facts and trivia. The posters covered every inch of my room. I remember picking up new ones every other week from the street-side sellers of Connaught Place in Delhi, and found one with every new issue of The Hindu’s sports magazine called Sports Star.
By Surbhi Dewan
November 3, 2016
Video Page: Li Chenxi Keeps Up the Fantasy by Renting a Boyfriend
Trying to live up to the expectations of those you care about isn’t easy! Li Chenxi is 27 years old and has been facing pressure from her family to get married. She herself has no such desire and is fine with the way she lives; but to keep those she cares about happy she, like so many of us, finds a creative way to sustain her mum’s fantasy!
By Curated Content
November 3, 2016
Interview: Ute Pauline Wiemer on Lovetreats and Sex
Ute Pauline Wiemer, along with her partner Balaji, founded Lovetreats in Bangalore in 2015. Lovetreats is an online retail space and discussion forum for people to buy intimate sexual wellness and health products as well as exchange ideas and learn about topics such as sexuality and intimacy.
By Anjora Sarangi
November 3, 2016
The Challenge of Accessibility: Desire, Fantasy and People with Disabilities
The general attitude towards sexual fantasy, and the reflection of such fantasies in popular imagery, erotica and erotic porn is constructed on assumptions of ableism. There are other fantasies though, that reflect or are born of the sexuality of their creators and consumers, persons who do not fit into the accepted age, body or sexual identity.
By Shikha Aleya
Brushstrokes: Fantasy and Kink
No fantasy is wrong. Or sick. Or immoral. Just like good intentions are worthless unless they lead to fruitful actions, wicked fantasies aren’t wrong or sick unless they lead to wicked acts. And no, they don’t have to. That is the point of kink.
By Curated Content
November 3, 2016