Tag: Queer Relationships | Page 3

Quote: The Madras High Court, emphasising on the spirit of the Constitution that enabled inclusion, explained that trans persons were entitled to the benefit of existing social institutions, including State-recognised marriage. This guaranteed their right to a civil union.

Advice - Rights and Laws Jun '19

Winds of change in marriage law?

By Mihika Poddar

Mihika Poddar explains a recent court verdict on the right to marry for trans persons

This photograph shows a poster held up by a participant at a rally in Kolkata on September 16, 2018 to celebrate the Supreme Court’s verdict reading down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. The poster, prepared by the Jadavpur University Queer Collective, simply says “Bhalobashar aajadi” in Bengali, which translates as ‘freedom to love’. The text is written in big bold letters in red on a white chart paper. The initials JUQC are mentioned on the bottom right corner. The poster fills up the main part of the photograph, with only the hands and a part of the participant’s head visible on the edges of the poster. In the background more participants can be seen. Photo credit: Kaushik Gupta

Advice - Rights and Laws Feb '19

Police cannot stop consensual cohabitation between two queer adults

By Debayan N. Sen

Debayan N. Sen assures that consensual cohabitation by same-sex couples is not a crime

This artwork image is borrowed from the cover page of a summary of the Supreme Court’s Section 377 verdict – the summary titled ‘Right to Love – Navtej Singh Johar V. Union of India: A Transformative Constitution and the Rights of LGBT Persons’ was published by Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore with inputs from queer activists across India in September 2018. The image shows a graphic of two hands held together in a friendly handshake grip. It could also be seen as any two lovers holding hands. One of the hands is coloured in the queer pride rainbow flag shades, while the other is white in colour. The outline of the two hands together is shaped like a love sign. In a sense, the graphic colours could also be interpreted as a friendly handshake between a queer person (symbolized by the rainbow coloured hand) and the State (symbolized by the white hand). The graphic is placed on a yellowish background. Artwork credit: Alternative Law Forum

Insight Nov '18

Will the Section 377 verdict live up to its full potential?

By Brindaalakshmi K.

Brindaalakshmi K. on what the Section 377 verdict means to people assigned gender female at birth

Creations, Insight, Travel Travel Oct '18

Many intimacies, many improvisations

By Marc Ohrem-Leclef

Marc Ohrem-Leclef’s 'Jugaad – Of Intimacy and Love' is a visual arts portrayal of male-to-male intimacy

This main photograph shows a picture each of B. Kumar and Rudra Kishore Mandal, the two interviewees for this article, from their earlier, youthful days. B. Kumar can be seen in the first photograph on the left, which is likely taken in a public place with low lighting. He can be seen warmly embracing another man – both are looking towards the camera, but the other person’s face is camouflaged. Both men are dressed in shirts and trousers; Kumar has a waist wallet on. The second photograph to the right shows Rudra Kishore Mandal relaxing on a divan. He’s seated with his back leaning on the wall behind him, one leg raised on to the divan, and a mobile phone in his hands. A bespectacled Rudra Kishore Mandal dressed in a sleeveless t-shirt and jeans looks at the camera with a bemused smile. Photo credits: Rudra Kishore Mandal’s personal collection

People, Qatha Jul '18

Qatha: On the uses of ‘sil-batta’ to make you straight & more queer tales (part 2)

By Pawan Dhall, Soma Roy Karmakar

'Varta' brings you the next series of articles under the ‘Queer Kolkata Oral History Project’

This main photograph shows pictures of B. Kumar and Rudra Kishore Mandal, the two interviewees for this article, from their earlier, youthful days. They are both all smiles in their respective photographs. B. Kumar’s photograph is accompanied with a dialogue cloud that says: “I used to keep boys away because they wanted to reach the girls through me, and I don’t want to play a second fiddle, but I would like to be a first fiddle!” Similarly, a dialogue cloud along with Rudra Kishore Mandal’s photograph says: “I used to scribble on the walls, I used to draw, and that was one of my biggest escapes from the reality around me, and I don’t know why I needed to escape but there was always this feeling that I’m not fitting in somewhere.” Photo credits: Rudra Kishore Mandal’s personal collection

People, Qatha Jun '18

Qatha: On the uses of ‘sil-batta’ to make you straight & more queer tales (part 1)

By Pawan Dhall, Soma Roy Karmakar

'Varta' brings you the next series of articles under the ‘Queer Kolkata Oral History Project’

This main photograph shows a collage of copies of the ‘AIDS Sex Knowledge’ or ‘ASK’ column published for young people by Kolkata-based social communication NGO Thoughtshop Foundation in 1996. The interactive column was published in the ‘Voices’ youth supplement of ‘The Statesman’ every third Thursday. Four editions of the column from February to April 1996 dealt with queer issues with inputs from Counsel Club, one of India’s earliest queer support groups. The photograph shows snippets of the column from these four editions – reader questions, myths and realities pointers, and reader comments on gender and sexuality. The full column name is displayed prominently – ‘AIDS Sex Knowledge for Young People’ with the tag line “If you don’t ask, you’ll never know, will you?” The ‘Voices’ masthead is also prominently visible. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Commentary, From the Archives Jul '17

Memories in media outings (part 3)

By Pawan Dhall

In 'Kolkata’s Queer Movement: A Recollection of Media Outings – Mid-1984 to Mid-2013' Pawan Dhall remembers his personal queer-story over the years

Insight, Policy Matters Jun '17

Sex talk for people with psychosocial disabilities

By Shampa Sengupta

Shampa Sengupta, founder of Sruti Disability Rights Centre, argues that the sexual needs of persons with psychosocial disabilities must be addressed, and that there can be no one-size-fits-all approach to...

Main photo long description: This first (main) photograph shows a performance of Mandeep Raikhy’s choreographic creation ‘Queen-size’ under way at Sitara Studio in Mumbai. The setting is typical for a ‘Queen-size’ show – Lalit Khatana and Parinay Mehra, the two dancers are performing around a charpoy, which is placed in the centre of the performance space – a studio room or small hall. The audience is also seated around the charpoy in an intimate arrangement that is a complete departure from a proscenium setting. The performers are on the right side of the bed, touching each other intimately as they pass by slowly and gaze into each other’s eyes. The lighting is dim, but the charpoy roping is a bright white, especially compared to the audience figures shrouded in darkness. Lalit Khatana, facing the camera, is to the right; he is tall, somewhat heavy built and hirsute, wearing an orange shirt with sleeves folded up and dark trousers; Parinay Mehra with his back to the camera is a shade shorter, slightly built and is in a grey t-shirt and cream coloured trousers. The photograph is taken from behind a few people in the audience seated on chairs. Photo credit: Kavi Datt.

Clickhappy!, Creations Mar '17

Coming out on the charpoy

By Mandeep Raikhy

Mandeep Raikhy on the spaces that his choreographic creation Queen-size has occupied across India in resistance against criminalization of queer intimacies. I made Queen-size in order to take it OUT. Out of theatres...

Photograph shows a poster on the back of an auto-rickshaw parked on a street in Hyderabad. The poster says: “Increase your sex limit, solve internal problems – else take your money back; trusted by million peoples”. The text is accompanied by a silhouette of a man and woman hugging each other and looking into each other’s eyes. The couple is standing on a sea beach, with the waves rushing on to the shore and the sun setting in the background, giving the sky a golden glow. A phone number is provided for people to call the service provider, but the name of the service provider is not legible. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Feb '17

Time for adult sex education?

By Pawan Dhall

So the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India has launched an adolescent health resource kit that includes information on sexual and reproductive health, mental health, violence, substance...

People Oct '16

Qatha: Recalling dark room discoveries and more (part 3)

By Pawan Dhall

Varta brings you the ‘Queer Kolkata Oral History Project’, an initiative to document five decades of queer lives in Kolkata (1960-2000). Our aim in this project is to go back in...

People Sep '16

Qatha: Recalling dark room discoveries and more (part 2)

By Pawan Dhall

Varta brings you the ‘Queer Kolkata Oral History Project’, an initiative to document five decades of queer lives in Kolkata (1960-2000). Our aim in this project is to go back in...

Quote: There was one boy in our locality, one boy he was very interested in sex, and whenever his mother, father was always out on tour, when his mother would go somewhere, he would call all of us, there would be about eight or nine people in the room – there was a room and we used to play dark room.

People Aug '16

Qatha: Recalling dark room discoveries and more (part 1)

By Pawan Dhall

Varta brings you the ‘Queer Kolkata Oral History Project’, an initiative to document five decades of queer lives in Kolkata (1960-2000). Our aim in this project is to go back in...

Tagged Under: Queer Relationships

Winds of change in marriage law?

Police cannot stop consensual cohabitation between two queer adults

Will the Section 377 verdict live up to its full potential?

Many intimacies, many improvisations

Qatha: On the uses of ‘sil-batta’ to make you straight & more queer tales (part 2)

Qatha: On the uses of ‘sil-batta’ to make you straight & more queer tales (part 1)

Memories in media outings (part 3)

Sex talk for people with psychosocial disabilities

Coming out on the charpoy

Time for adult sex education?

Qatha: Recalling dark room discoveries and more (part 3)

Qatha: Recalling dark room discoveries and more (part 2)

Qatha: Recalling dark room discoveries and more (part 1)

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