Why we exist. Anti-queer narrative, as a colonial tool, was designed to erase our culture, divide our people and blur our identities. Unfortunately, after decades of independence, the hate persists. Our goal is to eliminate this and restore, develop and advance this non-normative and heterogenous understanding of love and personhood…

Nirupama Vaylay — Introduction Ismat Chughtai retells a riveting composition in her memoir, Kaghazi Hai Pairahan, of her summons to appear at Lahore High Court for obscenity charges in her short story Lihaaf (The Quilt) and the ordeal that ensued. Infamously headlined “Ismat Chughtai vs. The Crown,” the trials were held twice, in 1944…

Yashasvi Pandit — “I attribute it largely to early marriage. A boy gets tired of his wife, or of women at an early age and wants the stimulus of some more novel or exciting sensation.” — Lord Curzon (British India) The British colonial rule in India had a profound impact on the social…

Avanthika Nambiar — In light of the Covid-19 pandemic that has changed our lives today, it is important to remember another virus that had gripped the world over and continues to do so. HIV may have been a global issue for a significant period, but it did not receive the same attention that…

Narayani Sepaha — The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019, promotes the image of the family as a patriarchal, heterosexual, and casteist institution while failing to account for different types of “selected families” and intimacies that coexist in India. Given the Supreme Court’s recognition of the right to intimacy as a critical…

Shikha Vats — Introduction The World That Belongs To Us: An Anthology of Queer Poetry from South Asia is a splendid work of literature that transcends all sorts of boundaries — from boundaries of sex, gender, and caste to national, religious, cultural and linguistic identities. The anthology features poets belonging to South Asia’s many…

Anika Chandrawanshi and Tanya — Queerphobia and queer oppression are engraved in the capitalist production and reproduction system. The advent of queer theory signifies a shift in how persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered are viewed. It has broken new ground in studying sexuality and gender as distinct issues, rather than as extensions…

Avanthika Nambiar — Overview Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was one of the biggest milestones in natural history and genetics and hence has found a permanent place in our biology textbooks. However, there is a socio-political and ethical side to this theory that often goes undiscussed. While Darwinism explains how different species of organisms…

Avanthika Nambiar — This is Part 2 to another article. Read Part 1 for context. Malthusianism in China It is not just individuals who have taken up this Neo-Malthusian stance, but also governments. The most recent example is that of India and China enforcing a One-Child or Two-Child policy. …