OVER THE RAINBOW

The fashion vocabulary is evolving to accommodate the ripples of change - bending gender norms being the focal point of discussion

DURGA GAWDE

ARTIST, ACTIVIST & EDUCATOR; NON-BINARY, GENDER-FLUID

India’s first performing drag king, Durga Gawde, is on a mission to take queer expression and trans narrative to the international platform. Identifying as the pronouns they/ them, Durga considers themselves as a ‘pixel’ in the LGBTQIA+ section. On self-expression, they say, “As an artist and a queer person, I found my voice in different ways, one of them being the art of drag. My style and choices are authentic to how I perceive myself in an ephemeral and fluid way. I have been feeling my masculinity a lot lately and the experience is similar to going through a second puberty. I am focusing on bodybuilding to change my physique to a point that it decreases the dysphoria that I feel on my chest. The way I used to feel in the clothes owned previously, is completely different now. I love to play with colours and my own form as a sculptor. Being comfortable in my skin gives me a deeper understanding of anatomy, biochemistry, biology and psychology. When I dye my hair or wear clothes, it is to make a statement that I am not afraid to embrace my personality and identity”, concludes Durga.

PRIYANKA PAUL

ILLUSTRATOR, POET & ACTIVIST; QUEER