Tag: Queer Relationships

Quote: Transgression of boundaries in 'Aamis' sets the protagonists as well as the audience on a path of realization that nothing is off limits. What can be eaten, what cannot be eaten, who can be desired, and who cannot be desired are just some of the questions that the film explores. The appetite of humans for food and desire cannot be contained. The garb of respectability within the confines of morality leads to suppression of desires. The intimacy that the protagonists craved between themselves was never expressed in words or actions. Instead, their forbidden desires found a release in food.

Commentary Sep '25

Liberation in sin

By Dr. Sankalpa Satapathy

Questioning the so-called morals around desire can set us on the path to a more accepting, less judgmental life, says Dr. Sankalpa Satapathy

Quote: What then are our expectations from life? I mean, apart from wanting Section 377, IPC to be struck off; apart from wanting recognition from our ‘straight’ fellow humans; apart from rights, space and privacy . . . What is it that each of our personal selves yearns for? Can we classify our desires into two broad divisions of love and sex? Does social sanction hold a lot of importance for us?

From the Archives, Vartanama Jul '25

Random thoughts 30 something years ago

By Pawan Dhall

On ‘Varta’ webzine’s 12th birthday, Pawan Dhall shares excerpts from an editorial published in the webzine’s predecessor ‘Pravartak’ in 1995

This photograph shows a long-shot of an evening sky taken from the window of the south-western corner room that the author occupies in his new home on the third floor of a building. The sky outside is a deepening blue-velvet, with some clouds in the horizon tinged with the light pink and orange of a setting sun not visible in the photograph. A silhouetted pine tree occupies centre stage against the sky, with more trees and the upper floors and rooftops of buildings in the neighbourhood visible in the background. Some of the buildings are silhouetted against the sky, while one of them has windows lit from inside. In the foreground are the awning and the horizontal railings of the author’s window. The railings are placed quite wide apart and add to the drama of the view rather than interrupt it. The photograph conveys a sense of evening calm before the darkness takes over. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Jun '25

‘Kalbaisakhi’ and the crow

By Pawan Dhall

Pawan Dhall on the views and viewpoints he has come across and dwelt on since he moved to a new residential address a year ago

This image shows a still from the award-winning documentary film ‘Amma’s Pride’ directed by Shiva Krish. In the image, Srija, the main protagonist of the film is seen smiling and talking on her mobile phone, while Valli, her mother, looks on standing next to her also smiling brightly. Mother and daughter are both inside their house, and in the background can be seen sundry household objects placed on shelves or hanging on walls. The background objects have been slightly blurred to enhance the focus on Srija and Valli. Image courtesy Shiva Krish

Happenings, Vartanama May '25

Pursuing resilience, embracing hope

By Meghjit Sengupta, Pawan Dhall

Meghjit Sengupta reflects on an event centred around award-winning documentary ‘Amma’s Pride’, the story of transgender woman Srija whose marriage to Arunkumar, a cisgender man, in 2019 set a legal...

This photograph shows a mid-range shot of a collective display of the five zines made by the author Mekuriiko for the exhibition ‘Queer Objects 1.0’ organized in Guwahati in late 2023. Several copies of each of the zine are placed, somewhat casually, on a low box-like display stand. The display is just next to a blank white wall of the exhibition hall. The covers of the zines read ‘Love is Love’, ‘The Queer Manifesto’, ‘Queer Objects’, ‘Queer Revelations’ and ‘You Will Die, And So Will I’. A sticky note next to the zines urges the viewers to flip through the zines. Photo credit: Mekuriiko

Creations, Insight May '25

Storytelling through zines

By Mekuriiko

Mekuriiko writes for the first in a series of articles on the experience of the artists who participated in ‘Queer Objects 1.0’, a one-of-its-kind exhibition held in Guwahati in late...

This horizontal rectangular image is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph is to the left and it shows the flame of a fire burning in the dark. The flame is emerging from pieces of firewood. The rising flame is a yellow-orange in colour, while reddish embers can be seen below the firewood. Nothing else is visible as the darkness surrounds the fire. The accompanying text says: “If rules, heteronormative or any other kind, are to apply to desire, whom to desire, how to desire and furthermore, how to act on that desire, then the very essence of desire is stripped away. It restrains the fluidity of desire. However hard one may try, our desire in its unrestricted form cannot be wished away. It is there, sitting, waiting patiently, simmering beneath the surface, making its presence felt; waiting for the person to take cognizance.” Photo credit: László D. on Unsplash

Commentary, Insight Oct '24

Meandering desire

By Dr. Sankalpa Satapathy

Dr. Sankalpa Satapathy asserts that our desires run like a subterranean river and can survive all forms of censorship

This graphic is a word cloud created from key words extracted from the accompanying article. The cloud is in the shape of an abstract representation of a switch. Two isosceles triangles are placed vertically such that their bases face each other, but with a significant gap between the two triangles. The triangle on the right side is designed like a set square from a geometry instrument box and symbolizes ‘switch on’, while the triangle on the left side symbolizes ‘switch off’. The triangles are filled up with terms and expressions like BDSM, dominant, fluidity, kink, kink play, self-realization, spectrum, submissive, switch, slash and so on in different typefaces and colours. The triangles, themselves coloured in light pink, are placed inside a large square shape filled up with a light blue and white bokeh effect. The gap between the two triangles and the blur effect symbolize that kinkiness is more about fluidity than about binaries like dominant and submissive, which is the central argument of the accompanying article. Graphic credit: Pawan Dhall

Commentary Jun '24

Why I am not a switch

By Lipikor, Jia Mata

In kink, ‘switch’ is something you do rather than what you are, argue Lipikor and Jia Mata

Quote: Tamil Nadu’s draft gender and sexual minority policy does not simply make a claim for marriage equality for queer persons but nudges the State to reimagine the family beyond kinship and marriage. By doing so it focuses on the functional conceptualisation of the family, namely what families should do, as opposed to the form of the family, namely what families should look like. A functional approach thus seeks to centre values of mutual care, love and dependence as definitive of a family, as opposed to only marriage and biological relatedness. The draft policy thus marks an entry into a radical possibility of family law expanding beyond its narrow normative foundations.

Insight May '24

Queering the family: Tamil Nadu shows the way

By Namrata

Namrata writes about the developments around the Deed of Familial Association in Tamil Nadu and how it can lead to recognition of queer relationships

This is a close-up daytime photograph of the author Santa Khurai posing for the camera with her companion John Nongmaithem. The author is seated on a chair not visible in the photo and is gazing up at John who is standing behind her and looking back at her. With his left hand, he is caressing the strands of the author’s hair. Santa is wearing a red and white dress, has nude makeup on and kohl-lined eyes. John is dressed in a black shirt with the collars drawn up and a black cap. A white vest is visible behind the shirt partially open at the top. He has dark sunglasses hanging casually from the shirt parting. He has a small black ‘tilak’ on his forehead. Both persons are gazing at each other lovingly. The leaves of a neem tree and the blue sky form the backdrop of the photograph, which has been shot on the terrace of the author’s home. Photo credit: Jessia Takhelmayum

Vartanama Apr '24

Sweet surrender

By Santa Khurai

Santa Khurai writes about a different kind of love story blossoming in the middle of sociopolitical conflict in Manipur

This illustration is a combination of a horizontally oriented photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph shows a daytime mid-range shot of a large duck crossing a forest pathway with six of its ducklings. The parent bird can be seen to the extreme right side of the photograph facing left, while the ducklings are walking ahead of or next to the parent bird. One of the ducklings is ahead of the rest, striding confidently away. The pathway is partially lit up with sunlight, while the rest is under the shadow of trees. The extracted text says: “I want to tell all the parents that your responsibility is to ensure your children are safe and loved. Nothing else. You do not have to decide what career your children should pursue, or who they should love or marry, if at all they want to marry. Your children, queer or not, will find their way through life.”

Insight Jan '24

Taking marriage off the checklist of parental duties

By Mahua Seth

Can we look at parenting with wonder and curiosity instead of compulsively controlling our children’s lives, asks Mahua Seth

This photograph shows a close-up daytime shot of dazzling white flowers growing on a slender stalk on the forest floor. The plant is surrounded with diverse green foliage growing on the wet soil. The whiteness of the flowers clearly stands out against the green and brown of the surroundings. The photograph was taken at the Karlapat Sanctuary Range near Bhawanipatna in Odisha in 2017. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Dec '23

My anger narrative is white hot

By Pawan Dhall

Coming to terms with your anger can be a creative approach to welcoming the New Year, says Pawan Dhall

This illustration is a square-shaped collage created from scraps of magazine articles and photographs. Two post boxes, one in red and black, and another in red, peach and black colours, are superimposed on a background created by images of flowering shrubs in gardens, tall trees, and cotton white clouds in a blue sky. The post boxes seem to be floating in mid-air, perhaps conveying a sense of lightness of being. Scattered, random text can be seen on the post boxes. Someone is standing right behind the all-red post box; just their arms visible on the sides of the post box, which seems to have become part of their persona. Artwork credit: Tanvir

My Story Nov '23

Imagining queer futures in letters

By Tanvir

Tanvir on the role played by letters and the emotions contained in them (or attached to them) in queer community building

Quote: Justice Bhat issued a direction to the State to address the discrimination that trans and queer couples face in relation to social welfare entitlements and employment benefits in cases where such benefits can only be available to legally married couples. Justice Chandrachud spoke about the urgent need for anti-discrimination laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and give full effect to all civil and social rights of trans and queer persons. Justice Kaul agreed with him on the need for an anti-discrimination law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Advice - Rights and Laws, Vartanama Oct '23

Anti-discrimination mantra for long and happy trans and queer lives (married or not)

By Namrata

Namrata examines the Supreme Court’s marriage equality verdict and suggests further advocacy and litigation possibilities for queer activists and lawyers – with inputs from Lalit Panda, Senior Resident Fellow (Charkha),...

This illustration is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph shows the author Rituparna Borah participating in the ‘Delhi Queer Pride’ in 2009. She is walking under a mammoth six-coloured rainbow pride flag, holding up the flag with her hands, smiling and looking sideways towards the camera, though not at the camera. The sunlight filtering through the flag is lighting up all the colours. In the background, towards the bottom left edge of the photograph, several other pride walkers can be seen. The accompanying text says: “I am not claiming here that there will be no fights or power dynamics, yet I hope that we can solve our issues not by calling out but with chai, samosas, tears, hugs and then some drinks! I still believe that we can create a reality where intersecting marginalized identities are part and parcel of queer-trans feminism(s), and no one has to prove how marginalized they are to get the rights they deserve.” Photo courtesy Voices Against 377

Commentary Aug '23

In loving memory of discourse

By Rituparna Borah

Rituparna Borah wishes for yesterday once more in debates and dialogues around gender and sexuality – her thoughts for the future on ‘Varta’ webzine completing 10 years

Quote: Somewhere amid all these positives, I also expect queer people with disabilities to be more visible, do well in life, and not be silenced in both queer and disability communities. Homophobic, transphobic and ableist people will still be around, but they may well be pushed to the fringes. A decade hence we may sit down and compare the predictions made by various authors on the pages of Varta and calculate the percentage of those that have come true.

My Story Aug '23

Cautious predictions for 2033 CE

By Rajib Chakrabarti

On ‘Varta’ webzine completing 10 years, Rajib Chakrabarti writes about the changes he expects to see for queer people and persons with disabilities a decade from now

Vartanama Jul '23

Tensions of the past and future

By Pawan Dhall

An imperfect digest of ‘Varta’ webzine’s journey through a decade of climaxes, anti-climaxes, and explorations for a social G-spot

Tagged Under: Queer Relationships

Liberation in sin

Random thoughts 30 something years ago

‘Kalbaisakhi’ and the crow

Pursuing resilience, embracing hope

Storytelling through zines

Meandering desire

Why I am not a switch

Queering the family: Tamil Nadu shows the way

Sweet surrender

Taking marriage off the checklist of parental duties

My anger narrative is white hot

Imagining queer futures in letters

Anti-discrimination mantra for long and happy trans and queer lives (married or not)

In loving memory of discourse

Cautious predictions for 2033 CE

Tensions of the past and future

Queer Friendly Resources

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