Tag: Section 377 | Varta Trust

This photograph shows a close-up shot of a slogan printed on a black t-shirt worn by a woman. The slogan says “A woman does not have to be modest in order to be respected.” Two heart signs accompany the text, which is printed in white on the black cloth of the t-shirt. The woman’s face is not visible in the photograph, but a part of her neck and arms are visible. A deep blue sky with white clouds is visible in the background. Photo credit: The frolicsome Fairy on Unsplash

Insight Mar '25

Reclaiming ‘whore’

By Dr. Sankalpa Satapathy

Women, queer and transgender persons must take back the words that men have fabricated with regressive meanings to make them feel ashamed of themselves, says Dr. Sankalpa Satapathy

Cinemascope, Vartanama Sep '23

Celebrating the queer gaze in Hindi cinema

By Debjyoti Ghosh

As ‘Varta’ turned 10 on August 1, 2023, Debjyoti Ghosh caught up with pioneering filmmaker Onir for a chat on his vision for queer empowerment in Hindi cinema and beyond

This photographic collage shows close-up glimpses from the archival records maintained by Varta Trust on the sociolegal campaigns against Section 377, Indian Penal Code since the early 1990s. Portions of a couple of pages from the 172nd report of the Law Commission of India on a review of the rape laws published in March 2000 can be seen in the collage. The title page of the report is presented inside an oval shaped inset. The State Emblem of India, an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, is visible on the top of one of the pages in the collage. The pages are presented in a stylized manner, with only a portion of the text on the pages visible to the reader. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

From the Archives Sep '23

Conversations between movements, collaborations across identities, 10 years on

By Dhamini Ratnam

The struggle for equal rights must be a collaborative one – Dhamini Ratnam dwells on this lesson from the past reflected in the queer archives maintained by Varta Trust

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

This illustration is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph, a daytime selfie shot, shows the author Mahua Seth with her son Mihir Seth on a holiday trip. Mother and son, both bespectacled, are all smiles as they look into the camera. Behind them is a sweeping expanse of mountains marked with patches of vegetation, reflecting the bright sunlight. The sky above is a hazy blue marked with cotton white clouds. The accompanying text says: “It became clear to me that we need to build more awareness across every section of society. The Nigerian Igbo communities got it right when they said “It takes a village to raise a child.” We need to work with the parents, of course, but also the uncles, aunts, teachers, coaches, colleagues and neighbours. Photo credit: Mahua Seth

My Story Aug '23

Building a better future with safe spaces, empathy and hugs

By Mahua Seth

As ‘Varta’ webzine turns 10, Mahua Seth imagines a more caring and affirming future, not just for queer people but also their parents and families

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

Printed Word, Vartanama Feb '23

In search of an ideal world, or at least a better one

By Pawan Dhall

Sharif D. Rangnekar’s new book 'Queersapien' takes you through a self-reflective account across countries, cultures and issues

Quote: In a somewhat predictable turn of events, the ‘apology’ owed to queer Indians and their families is still trying hard to ‘come out’ from the pages of the verdict into day-to-day life – even when the Supreme Court itself is trying to set a progressive example for the rest of the polity to follow. The central government’s unwillingness to accept the Supreme Court’s recommendation for the appointment of advocate Saurabh Kirpal as a judge of the Delhi High Court is a case in point.

Vartanama Jan '23

Decriminalized but not destigmatized

By Pawan Dhall

The central government’s discomfort about queerness in the judiciary throws up many more uncomfortable questions

This photograph is a close-up shot of the front cover of the book reviewed in the accompanying article. The book titled ‘Amar Bhitor Bahire’ has been written by Kolkata-based queer and HIV activist Jaydip Jana in Bengali. The upper half of the cover has the name of the book and author written in large point size. The text is in white and stands out against a stylistic representation of the rainbow pride flag colours in the background. Below the text is a sideways silhouette of an individual who seems to be sitting down in a contemplative posture with their chin resting on their right hand. A rainbow friendship band adorns their right wrist. A half-filled silver ‘sindur daan’, with the lid off and some ‘sindur’ scattered outside, is juxtaposed against the silhouette. In the photograph, the book itself is placed flat, but at an angle, on a surface covered in an attractive green and white fabric. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Printed Word Nov '22

Ins and outs of a queer memoir

By Jia Mata

Jia Mata reviews Jaydip Jana’s debut book ‘Amar Bhitor Bahire’, a new addition to contemporary queer literature in Bengali

This illustration is a poster of the film ‘Gay India Matrimony’. On a deep-yellow background sprinkled with multi-coloured hearts and stars, the name of the film is presented in stylized text in English and Hindi inside a heart shape created by a wedding garland. The garland is white with patterns of green and red. Dangling from the lower end of the garland are the symbols for love between two women and between two men, and another that depicts transgender identity. The film credits are provided at the bottom of the poster in English and Hindi. Poster artwork credit: Abhro Banerjee

Cinemascope Apr '22

Queering the marriage story pitch

By Karthik Hebbar

Karthik Hebbar reviews 'Gay India Matrimony', a documentary film by Debalina, one of India’s most exciting queer filmmakers

Quote: Counting from the 1980s and the 1990s, so many queer activists, my contemporaries, have spent a life time in mobilizing queer people, organizing and training them, trying to create new options for them, above all listening to their stories of pain and offering them solace. We’ve so often acted almost ‘in loco parentis’ for people whose own parents and families turned against them. Does the government’s vision include ‘teaching’ such ‘parenting skills’ to social work practitioners?

Vartanama Nov '20

From ‘being criminal and doing social work’ to ‘doing social work and becoming criminal’

By Pawan Dhall

This headline may seem perplexing. So is the central government’s plan to improve the quality of professional social work in India

This illustration is a combination of a photograph of Sanjit Mondal, whose story is the subject matter of the accompanying article, and a quote extracted from the article. Sanjit’s photograph has been taken in an outdoor location in the early evening light. Head bent to the right and with his right hand in his crop-topped hair, Sanjit looks into the camera with the hint of a smile. He is dressed casually in a shirt with sleeves rolled up and denim shorts, and has a friendship band on his left wrist. He is seated on the raised edge of a paved pathway. Behind him is a patch of manicured green and two palm trees. A small portion of a pavement with a single pedestrian, a thoroughfare with no traffic, an overhead carriageway for a railway line, and in the distant background some buildings and more trees can also be seen. The accompanying quote says: “Obviously we’ve just got the right to have sex in our own bedroom, which isn’t enough for a human being. Nothing’s really been done for our rights. Only when LGBT people are able to avail of all the basic rights that heterosexual people take for granted in their day-to-day life can one say that yes we’ve got our rights.” Photo courtesy Sanjit Mondal

Coronavirus Diary, People Oct '20

Right to have sex in one’s bedroom not be-all and end-all of LGBTIQA+ rights

By Pradosh Dash

Pradosh Dash chats with political science student Sanjit Mondal who survived a recent queerphobic attack by the Bidhannagar City Police and turned adversity into opportunity

This illustration is a combination of a graphic and text. The text says: “Social stigma still outsmarts legal change and even availability of queer-friendly legal aid. While changing the way the police functions and advocating for greater family acceptance remain important, the thinking in the Queer Friendly Lawyers Network – West Bengal (QFLN) is that more needs to be done within the queer communities so as to reduce the vulnerability of queer individuals to blackmail.” The accompanying graphic is borrowed from an earlier alert on safer dating developed by the QFLN in early 2017. The graphic is provided as a small inset and its text on safer dating tips is not readable. But the graphic’s headline “Blackmailer Alert” stands out along with the sketch of a man's face with a stricken look and mouth shut, symbolizing the fear of a victim of blackmail. Graphic artwork credit: Rudra Kishore Mandal and Pawan Dhall

Advice - Mind Body and Family, Insight Sep '20

Better mental health for safer dating?

By QFLN - West Bengal

Festive season’s round the corner, coronavirus lockdowns have eased up – have fun dating but don’t let your heart and wallet become easy game! Queer Friendly Lawyers Network – West...

This photograph is an evening-time long shot of the Hooghly River from the river bank on the Kolkata side. The photograph shows a large expanse of the river. The backdrop shows a golden yellow setting sun and a blue sky tinged with orange light in the horizon. The river waters seem absolutely calm and a large passenger boat with many people on board can be seen right in the line of the sun’s reflection on the water. More vessels can be seen towards the right edge of the photograph and in the distant background. The river bank on the far side is a hazy line of trees and a few industrial structures. The overall sense is one of serenity. The setting sun can be a symbol of renewal as much as a rising one. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Coronavirus Diary, Vartanama Jul '20

Turning seven in a world turned upside down?

By Pawan Dhall

There couldn’t have been a better time for ‘Varta’ webzine to complete seven years

This photograph is a selfie shot taken by the author at an event organized by NGOs SAATHII and Thoughtshop Foundation to mark the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s verdict on Section 377, Indian Penal Code. The event was organized at Thoughtshop Foundation’s meeting space in Kolkata on September 6, 2019, exactly one year since the verdict. The participants included around 50 individuals associated with the youth groups that Thoughtshop Foundation works with. Staff members of the two NGOs were also present. A diversity of genders and sexualities was represented at the gathering. The author shot the photograph with the phone in his right hand. A part of his smiling face peers and looks up into the camera, with around 30 other participants to his left, some seated and others on their feet. While half of them are smiling at the camera, flashing victory signs, the other half are smiling and waving excitedly at another photographer, who is not visible in the photograph. Overall, it is a photograph with much happening and with everyone in a celebratory mood. The top right hand corner of the photograph has a small inset photo of a large chocolate cake that was cut on the occasion. The icing on the cake says “One year of breaking free 377”. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall"

Vartanama Sep '19

Explorations of ‘self’ pride beyond Section 377

By Pawan Dhall

Stories of pride may be tucked away from all the rainbow glitter going around

Tagged Under: Section 377

Reclaiming ‘whore’

Celebrating the queer gaze in Hindi cinema

Conversations between movements, collaborations across identities, 10 years on

In loving memory of discourse

Building a better future with safe spaces, empathy and hugs

Cautious predictions for 2033 CE

Tensions of the past and future

In search of an ideal world, or at least a better one

Decriminalized but not destigmatized

Ins and outs of a queer memoir

Queering the marriage story pitch

From ‘being criminal and doing social work’ to ‘doing social work and becoming criminal’

Right to have sex in one’s bedroom not be-all and end-all of LGBTIQA+ rights

Better mental health for safer dating?

Turning seven in a world turned upside down?

Explorations of ‘self’ pride beyond Section 377

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