Being a sexually active individual over the last two decades in India has been a curious, exhilarating and even shameful experience. Growing up in a middle-class family in Mumbai who considered themselves to be liberal-minded when it came to matters of sexuality and relationships though, we didn’t talk about sex really.
As a queer adult in India, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sex-positive relationships are the path to liberation amidst a culture of sex-negativity, shame, and fear. Across India, rape culture, hegemonic masculinity, as well as erotophobia and sex-negativity contribute to the prevalence of inconsistent or ineffective education around consent and sexuality.
As a community, queer folks have long been marginalised and misunderstood. However, it is the queer community that has been responsible for heralding the sexual revolution in India. Right from the Section 377 protests to Pride marches, the LGBTQIA+ community has reclaimed space and expression for misfitted individuals in a normatively oppressive society.
The advocacy of consensual non-monogamous relationship styles that counter monogamy and heteronormativity, are also inherently queer directives; ones which allow the fluidity of gender and sexual identity and help individuals to discover the meaning of love, pleasure and safety within the cocoon of a meaningful relationship.
Denne historien er fra August 11, 2023-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra August 11, 2023-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
