All you need to know about LGBTQIA+ community and India

by | Jun 3, 2022 | 0 comments

Gloria Steiman says, “A gender-equal society would be the one where the word “gender” does not exist: where everyone can be themselves.” A typical Indian society didn’t understand this ever as for them there is a very big line of distinction between gender roles. A few days ago I heard one of my neighbors complaining about her daughter’s friend saying “Voh ladka hai toh kitchen set se kyu khelta hai.” Yes! Unfortunately this is still going on, these kinds of stereotypes, in this gen-z world because they are not from “naya zamana.” This is the cause why people in Indian society are scared to come out, to divulge themselves and to be original.

The LGBTQIA+ community have been the victim of this hideous society where they couldn’t breathe the air of freedom, where people didn’t see them as “normal”, where they weren’t accepted and revered for what they are and were seen as delinquents.

Let’s first understand what is the full form of LGBTQIA+?
The abbreviation stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Instersex, Asexual and the plus sign refers to the genders that are self identified.

To know more about this community, here are few of my suggestions:
You can refer to following books to learn about few experiences of the people:

Revathi: A Life in Trans Activism:

It provides insight into one of the least talked about subjects in our society—from the point of view of a person most qualified to talk about it.

Memory of Light:

Ruth Vanita’s Memory of Light follows the story of two women who find each other amidst a coterie of artists and discover the delights of youthful romance.

Quarantine by Rahul Mehta:

Rahul Mehta’s debut short story collection is an emotionally arresting exploration of the lives of Indian-American gay men and their families.

Podcasts are my favorite way of learning about a particular topic, so here are a few suggestions:

Shudh Desi Gay Podcast by Yogi and Kabeer:

In this podcast they talk about their journey, their relationship, their experiences as homosexuals, both individually and as a couple.

De Taali: Life of a Transgender:

A Transgender, an Original Podcast series, which delves into and explores the unexplored lives of India’s third gender.

Rainbow Diaries Podcast:

India’s only LGBTQIA+ Radio Show now on Podcast. A more raw, unedited version of the radio show talks about very relatable topics of the LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY.

There are many movies like cobalt blue, call me by your name, shubh mangal zyaada savdhaan and tv series like euphoria, sex education, heartstopper, etc to dig deeper and know more about the queer community.

People like Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil took 41 years to come out as a gay royal in India as he had no one to talk about his interests and attractions. Anwesh Sahoo, one of the most influential content creators was always treated as a “laughing stock” in his youth. He was termed as a stupid femme kid who couldn’t have a sense of dignified career ahead.

With the ballooning of social media, a lot of people from LGBTQIA+ community have come out to speak about awareness, equality and freedom. Some of the famous content creators who are immensely successful from this community are Priyanka Paul, Durga Gawde, Alex Mathew, Maitrayanee Mahanta, The Vagabond Boiz, etc. These people have contributed their whole and sole inspiring thousands of people across the country and normalising the fact that yes they are gay, they are lesbian, they are trans and for them being themselves is the only mantra to fight back and get off the shackles of the society’s stereotypes and prejudices.

In India Section 377 dated back to 1861, criminalized same gender sex. But “September 6 2018” was a turning point in the history of India where the supreme court waived off section 377 and legalized same gender sex in India. Millions of people thronged the streets and finally they found themselves a step ahead of being successful. Years of hardships brought them solace.

Love is love and there is no gender to love! For those still in their own bubble of gender roles, I request please start rolling away from the gender roles!

Happy Pride Month with pride in every human being believing in themselves!
For more podcast recommendations and to dig deeper into understanding podcasting stay tuned!