The I Column
Behind the Curtains
… when they believed we were of the right age to marry, they urged us to “leave everything behind and get settled”. When marriage is considered such an important institution in our society, why not teach us about consent as well?
By Bhargavi Vyas
February 18, 2025
My First Memories of Dabbling into online BDSM still Empower me after more than a Decade
If not for these memories, my exploration of sexuality would perhaps have stopped a few years ago, when I was single for a long time and didn’t know if I could find someone like me.
By Asmi
Of filter coffee, marriage and mixed celebrations of sexuality
Marriage also feels complicated when one approaches it through the lens of feminism. Marriage throws in two people and often their families into a system designed to perpetuate patriarchy, subjugate women, and bind men and women (in heteronormative marriage) into strict roles in the marriage.
By Vani Viswanathan
January 13, 2025
Between Generations: The Courage to Ask, The Courage to Answer
My mother’s openness gave me a profound glimpse into how deeply conversations – or their absence – shape our sense of self.
By Sahana G
December 18, 2024
एक ठंडी सुबह में सूरजमुखी
मेरे जेंडर के बारे में उनकी प्रतिकारिता हमारी बातचीत में हर जगह होती है, लेकिन वह मुझे यह भरोसा देने में भी देर नहीं लगातीं कि मेरी ग़ैर-विषमलैंगिकतावादी यौनिकता ने उन्हें कभी परेशान नहीं किया।
By Neel
October 17, 2024
Glass Onion
It was not uncommon for me to feel like an imposter, helping others connect with themselves while struggling to do the same myself.
By Janice G.
September 18, 2024
एकल जीवन की सराहना
Growing up, for me, has been about accepting that the loneliness and sadness woven into the fabric of my being do not go away with entering conventional arrangements like monogamous relationships or marriage.
By Siddhi Pandey
August 20, 2024
एक ‘क्वीयर’ मातृभाषा का अभाव
पूरे देश में ऐसे कई क्वीयर लोग होंगे जो अपनी ‘मातृभाषा’ में अपनी क्वीयर पहचान को एक नाम देने में नाकामयाब रहे हैं।
By Anonymous
June 18, 2024
The Paradox of Social Media
I have been working in the field of sexuality for some years but it was an Instagram post that got me to take the HPV vaccine seriously.
By Nidhi Chaudhary
February 15, 2024
For the Joy of It
Of course, I knew I wasn’t the only person in the world writing about Sherlock Holmes. I, however, thought I was the only one in the world writing about them like that. You know.
Romantically.
By Saswati
January 11, 2024
So what if I’m my own voyeur? — Connections and Disconnections with Desire(s)
Funnily enough, porn played a massive role in helping me articulate my queerness (I am pansexual) and my even queerer desires.
By Ankita Dhar Karmakar
The Last Local To Vashi
I gave myself the freedom to choose. And I chose to re-examine my assumptions. Maybe it was possible to ask strange men for directions without being afraid of seeming vulnerable. Maybe I could plan my outfit without bothering about the fact that I would be travelling on public transport.
By Tanvi Khemani
January 11, 2024
अपना किरदार निभाना
In this month’s issue of Play and Sexuality, Wesley D’Souza recounts the time his school put up a production of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, his preparations for its audition, and how the process was intertwined with an exploration and acceptance of his sexuality.
By Wesley D'Souza
January 11, 2024
LOVE SEX + ROBOTS
Even with all the risks that AI poses, it seems a safer bet than humans trying to exploit dating apps to make quick money.
By Siddharth Narrain
December 18, 2023
My Fashion and Gender Journey: How I discovered they are both fluid
How could I be trans if I didn’t tick off all the correct checkboxes demanded by politics, law, society and even the transgender community itself?
By Kirti
October 19, 2023