Voices
Dating in the Time of Social Distancing
At first glance, dating and social distancing appear to be oxymorons. But, as the last few weeks have shown us,…
By Siddharth Narrain
May 1, 2020
CSE and Online Hot Bath Scenes
No matter how many optional ways I’ve considered for starting this piece, I keep returning to ‘hot’ and ‘masala’. I’ve…
By Shikha Aleya
February 1, 2015
Critiquing the (Hetero-)Canon of Love: Desire and Longing in Contemporary Indian ‘Gay Romance’ Fiction
Undoubtedly, LGBTQ+ literature and writing in India has witnessed an ‘explosion’ in the past two decades, and the trends in contemporary publication promise consistent growth in the future too. However, issues of queer representation in existing literature, and especially contemporary literature, need to be continually invested in, for literature is a key marker of society’s outlook on and reception of such sensitive subjects as homosexuality and ‘queer’-ness
By Anil Pradhan
Constructing Pillars
Unbiased academic Pillars Stand rock hard and Straight-shoot to the sky. Pillars My teacher tells me all…
By Bhavyakirti Singh
April 5, 2021
Consent? Leave Sex Aside, What About It In Families?
How have we reached a point where non-consensual behaviours in romantic and sexual relationships are criminalised, but parental domination is still legitimised, or trivialised in the name of “Oh, but I know my parent is a good person and wants what is best for me”?
By Meghna Bohidar
October 3, 2016
Consent and violation
I was in standard 9th. She was our new Political Science teacher. Our entire class adored her; after all, she…
By Guest Writer
February 15, 2014
Conceptualising Love on the Aromantic Spectrum
I now feel comfortable entertaining the thought that my ease with my selfhood does not necessarily have to be threatened by the possibility of love in coupledom. Indeed, comfort with one’s self can actually evolve into healthier forms of love towards the other(s).
By Shivani Rajan
February 1, 2022
Comprehensive Sexuality and Personal Safety Education: Its Significance and Relevance
A child’s social environment in their foundational years plays a critical role in shaping their worldview and influences their responses and the way they communicate with their peers.
By Antara Buzarbaruah
Communication: A Path to Vulnerability
We must all care for ourselves and be discerning about when and where and with whom we show our cards…but those who can hold our emotional and sexual vulnerability are out there, and we can find them and be all of who we are.
By Shilpa Sachdeva
April 5, 2021
COMING UP FOR AIR: WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE TO GROW UP QUEER?
Why are boys afraid to cry? Why don’t people associate boxers with women? Because ‘boys don’t cry’, and fighting ‘like…
By Zoya Achanta
January 2, 2018
Coming Up For Air: What Would It Be Like to Grow Up Queer?
My parents have been accepting of different types of sexualities, but what scares me is that I don’t know how accepting they’d be if one day my brother or I told them we were interested in people of the same gender, or even more taboo: that we were having difficulty identifying with the gender we were raised as.
By Zoya Achanta
October 17, 2016
Class, Caste and Choices
Choices about life, relationships and desires are all defined based on socio-economic background, caste, class, gender and sexuality. When these young girls found a comfortable and safe space, they openly talked about their desires and experiences and how they negotiated their existing environments in order to pursue their desires.
By Prarthana
March 5, 2019
Claiming Our Spirituality Differently And Imaginatively
We need to claim our spirituality differently and imaginatively. There are many paths to god. For some it might be religion, or science, or sex, or love, or meditation, or art.
By Andy Stephen Silveira
November 15, 2019
Claiming One’s Space After False Sexual Harassment Allegations
Those who are rendered vulnerable due to their gender or sexuality, particularly those who are economically and socially disadvantaged (or less powerful) and lack the agency to speak up for themselves, are more prone to allegations, social ostracism and marginalization.
By Andy Stephen Silveira
City Scapegoats
A part of me is strong, independent, and quick to dismiss all kinds of uniformity. The other part is bashful, fearful, and somewhat assenting to a vast compromise.
By Andal Srivatsan
April 18, 2024