Did you know that our world is much more colourful than we think? Like yeah, you must have seen the skies and the oceans and whatnot and they are all colourful, but did you know humans were also made up of different colours? What sets each human apart are the choices they make and the way they express themselves. Given that we are mostly brought up to love or told to fall in love with the other gender or sex, the entire concept of LGBTQIA+ seems out of place. But did you know that your gender and sex meant different things? Let’s dive a little deeper to understand gender, sex, people’s way of expression and the colourful world of humans a little better. 

Is there a difference between gender and sex?

Whenever we take a look at our medical prescriptions or birth certificates we will find a section that asks about our sex. Sex, henceforth is biological. It refers to the chromosomes that are present in your DNA, your reproductive organs and genitals that determine whether you are a male, female or intersex (which refers to having more than one reproductive organ, chromosomes, sexual characteristics and genitals) at birth. People who are born intersex have the option to decide which sex they want to align with by choosing to get rid of the other reproductive organs. But gender on the other hand is social. The reason gender is considered social is because society has a way of determining what roles you should play depending on your sex, such as, women who are biologically determined as female should be timid, good at cooking, etc. and men who are biologically determined as male should not cry, be angry, etc. This entire idea that if you are a man you should behave like this or if you are a woman, you should behave like this is what makes gender. Gender as built by society is more of an expression, an identity that you may choose to align with. 

If you are a woman but feel like being loud and rowdy which is the assumed gender role that society has attached to men is what you like over the gender roles that are attached to women and hence you can identify yourself as a man. Hence everyone has a colour of their own making them colourful. The same goes for women who don’t like to perform the gender roles that society is attached to them and hence can choose to identify themselves as a man. What you need to understand is, it’s okay. You don’t necessarily need to figure out your gender identity, which is the gender you gel most well with or identify with, right now. Do what you feel like and over time you will figure it out. 

Then comes the question of your sexual orientation which depends on the attraction you feel towards another person. Society expects us to fall in love or get attracted to another person who is from a different sex and a different gender. But that isn’t always the case. You don’t decide who you get attracted to, you just do. If you could decide who you will get attracted to then it will be less of love and more of a math test. Don’t you think if we could choose who we get attracted to then Tom in Tom & Jerry wouldn’t necessarily be falling for female cats who don’t like him in general but just want to use him for all the gifts he can buy them? So it’s okay if you get attracted or fall in love with someone who is from the same gender or same sex. Hence, the LGBTQIA+ community exists.

What is the LGBTQIA+ community about?

The LGBTQIA+ community is a community that provides a safe place for all those who don’t necessarily follow society’s rules about who to get attracted to. A safe place for all the colours that make the world so colourful. In general, society expects men and women to fall for each other and not with others of the same gender as them as in men falling in love or getting attracted to men and women falling in love or getting attracted to women. But as we have mentioned before it isn’t always in our control to decide who we fall for or get attracted to. And it’s completely okay because you’re loving someone not throwing stones at them. But sadly society doesn’t agree with that. Hence, we have the LGBTQIA+ community which gives everyone a safe space of acceptance and allows people to just be themselves.

The LGBTQIA+ community first started as a movement to announce to the world loud and clear that people who don’t follow the conventional laws of attraction as put down by society also exist and deserve equal respect and rights like every other person out there. Their colours may be bright but they are equally colourful as another person who follows the laws of attraction put down by society. The LGBTQIA+ movement in India started by ensuring that people from every walk of life regardless of their bright or dull colours were held in the same regard. The entire LGBTQIA+ community is built on the foundation of taking pride. Hence the month of June in which the community celebrates the global acceptance of people and love is also called Pride Month.

Conclusion

Figuring out your gender identity, sexual orientation and who you are attracted to is tough. And you don’t need to decide your colour and be colourful today. Take your time. You will shine and be colourful regardless. You have your entire life to explore and figure it out. But in the meantime, love and let love and respect every person that you meet. To learn more about the different sexual orientations that the LGBTQIA+ community highlights and stands for, keep an eye out for our next article.

In the era of online dating and texting it’s hard to build genuine connections that last beyond your chat room. And more than that the freedom that comes with being able to choose who you want to be with the rising acknowledgment of the LGBTQIA+ movement there’s also the burden that comes with deciding who you associate with. But let me tell you a secret, you don’t necessarily have to decide who you associate with and who you love ASAP. It’s not an assignment or a project, it’s your life so stop putting a deadline on it and just enjoy. It’s okay to be confused, explore and to not know who you love.

Is it okay to be confused?

It is more than okay to be confused. Sexual orientation refers to who you are attracted to whereas gender is a social construct and hence very different from your biological sex and refers to who you identify as, such as male, female, trans, etc. The world of LGBTQIA+ is vast and confusing. It gives you the freedom to associate and identify with a variety of sexual orientations and identities. It gives you the freedom to explore but that doesn’t mean it can’t get confusing. It’s okay to get confused but don’t let it stop you from exploring. 

We know you must have heard the long tales that people have been harping about regarding the LGBTQIA+ movement and about how recent it is, how it is a passing phase, a fad even. But in reality, it has existed even in ancient times in India. Sure, there wasn’t the whole pride march or pride month but there sure were people who deviated from heterosexuality and identified as cisgender and were tolerated and even supported according to many of the ancient texts that are found in India. Rather LGBTQIA+ became a taboo in India with the import of Western ideals and values which saw it as foreign and degrading, and their immediate action was to put a stop to it legally by introducing laws such as Section 377. What you need to understand is that, regardless of what religion you belong to, regardless of whether your religion views homosexuality as a sin or not, it’s okay to question your sexuality. It may go against your religion at one point but at the same time, you need to understand that with time certain things need to evolve as well. Religion exists because it has staunch believers and one of those believers is you. You need religion as much as your religion needs you. At the end of the day, god won’t determine his love for you based on your sexual orientation and identity, after all, god makes everyone in his own reflection, so you being you which may not necessarily align with the majority could be his reflection as well. So stop trying to measure god’s love for you and try to understand yourself a little more.

How do I know that I am part of the LGBTQIA+ community?

It’s okay to be confused about trying to decipher who you love and who you identify with. As much as we would love to, there is no manual or guidelines for figuring out your identity in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Sure you could google and know more about the different sexual orientations and gender identities that people identify with hoping to find who you love and what you are. And most of the time you may succeed. But other times you may still be confused and that’s okay. There is a reason the entire LGBTQIA+ spectrum encourages gender and sexual fluidity and a chance to explore. It’s okay to explore and find out you don’t like certain things and you like certain other things. There is no shame in being confused or choosing to explore. But be aware that if you are in an existing committed relationship you must let your partner know about your wish to explore as they deserve that much honesty from you at the very least. Think of it this way, your partner probably thinks that you are happy with the way things are and has built his/her/their future around you hoping you did or are doing the same. So, when they receive the blow that you may not be sure about the relationship and are still deciding and want to explore, from someone else but you, imagine how devastating it would be. Be honest and open about it from the get-go. They may not be outrightly supportive but their reaction is not in your control, your actions are. You gave them honesty and they didn’t like it but at least you didn’t trap them in a false promise and rather allowed them and yourself to explore and find something more that feels right.

The LGBTQIA+ community is no doubt pretty vast and supportive but you must be aware of the many predators who do exist within the community. Just like the heterosexual and cisgender community the queer community has its fair share of bad apples who will exploit you in your search for identity and love for their selfish gains. And just like the predators in the heterosexual and cisgender community, there is no one way to figure them out. But what you can do instead is be a little sceptical and not so trusting of every person that you meet and be on the lookout for blaring red flags like manipulative tactics, not taking no for an answer, and many more. 

According to psychologist Siddique Ummar, “Many people find out who they identify with by identifying with certain characters in popular culture, and hence figure out their gender identity.” But that need not be the case for you. It could be the stepping stone to figuring out who you love and identify with but not the final step. You need to understand that there exist two kinds of attraction primarily, romantic and sexual. You can be attracted to the same gender sexually and romantically or one gender romantically and another sexually in which case it will be called mixed orientation or cross-orientation and that’s okay. Remember only you get to choose who you love and identify with. Nobody else can determine it for you, so it’s okay, take your time to explore.

Conclusion

It’s not easy trudging forward without knowing what you want or like, but you need to know it’s okay to do so. You are living your life for the first time, you can’t be expected to be sure and know exactly what you want all the time. It’s okay to get confused, fall in love and get your heart broken, but don’t ever let that deter you from exploring and finding out who you really are and what you really want. It’s okay to not know who you love. It’s okay to explore.

Singeetam Srinivasa Rao is a name that embodies versatility and innovation in the world of Indian Cinema. Popularly known as Singeetam, he is a profile every avid film watcher will know of. He is an accomplished Indian Film director, screenwriter, producer, composer, and actor. Singeetam has contributed groundbreaking films to the industry that have left a lasting impact on the industry. With a career that spans several decades, he is rightfully regarded as one of India’s most multifaceted directors.

Early Life

Singeetam was born on September 21, 1931. His journey in the film world began with a stint as an assistant director to the renowned K.V. Reddy from 1955 to 1968. During this time he contributed to iconic films such as “Mayabazar- 1957” and “Jagadeka Veeruni Katha- 1961”, which honed his craft and learning the intricacies of filmmaking.

In 1972, Singeetam made his directorial debut with the Telugu film “Neethi Nijaythi” This was the beginning of his exploration into experimental and socially relevant cinema. His films such as “Dikkarta Parvathi – 1974” garnered critical acclaim and accolades, establishing him as a director with a unique storytelling approach.

Contributions To Cinema

Singeetam’s legacy truly lies in his one-of-a-kind contributions to various genres. He directed films like “Panthulamma”, “Mayuri”, “Anand”, and “Son Of Aladdin”. His films have earned him numerous awards, including two National Film Awards and multiple Nandi Awards. His collaboration with esteemed actors Dr. Rajkumar and Kamal Haasan produced cinematic gems that achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim. With Kamal Haasan he created memorable films like “Pushpaka Vimana” and with Dr. Rajkumar, he created classics such as “Haalu Jenu”. Singeetam’s work in Kannada cinema was equally impressive. He directed the award-winning film “Samskara” and delivered a series of successful films starring Rajkumar. His Kannada ventures such as “Eradu Nakshatragalu” showed his mastery over diverse narratives.

Singeetam’s eye for innovation was evident in his films. “Mayuri” 1984 is a film that celebrated the spirit of dance and garnered accolades globally. “Pushpaka Vimana” 1968, was a ground-breaking dialogue-less film that captivated special mention at the Shanghai Film Festival. He elevated the Indian Film industry’s creative boundaries with science fiction and fantasy genres such as “Aditya 369” 1991 and “Bhairava Dweepam” 1994.

His Legacy

Singeetam’s journey in the world of Indian Cinema has been a trailblazing one. He ventured into uncharted territories, defying stereotypes and creating films that are celebrated for their originality. His legacy is not just his films but also his collaborations with iconic actors and his impact on multiple regional cinemas. He continues to inspire new generations of filmmakers. With the upcoming sequel to “Aditya 369” and a desire to explore new cinematic avenues, his journey continues as a saga of artistic exploration and creative brilliance.

The stories and narratives of the queer community and homosexuality have never found a place in mainstream India. Only recently, one can find stacks of queer and LGBTQ+ books amongst the many fiction and nonfiction paperbacks. Especially in India, the fight for gay rights had been extremely difficult. Considering a time of post 2000s in India, it was impossible to write novels and stories on homosexuality, or for gay writers to write their own memoirs freely and openly lest they be charged under obscenity. Since, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and eradicating hetero-normativity continues, we’ve rounded up some LGBTQ+ books, by Indian authors, both fiction and nonfiction, from different eras of India, that you must check out to gain insight, learn, unlearn, introspect, and also identify your own selves. 

Kari by Amruta Patil

Kari is an LGBTQ+ graphic fiction novel by Amruta Patil, India’s first female graphic author. The novel follows the visible and hidden struggles of a lesbian couple – Kari (the protagonist) and Ruth. The events unfold in the metropolitan city of Mumbai, highlighting that even the progressive of the cities are deeply hetero-normative. Amruta Patil has used unapologetically raw and powerful illustrations for the novel, which will speak to you louder than words. 

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai

Funny Boy is a LGBTQ+ book, narrating the story of Arjie, born in a wealthy Tamil family, who prefers dressing as a girl and playing with his girl cousins rather than play cricket with his brother. His father sends him to a school which would spark the ‘masculine’ in him. The novel consists of six stories, narrating Arjie’s coming of age and his exploration of his sexuality. All this is present against the background of political unrest in Sri Lanka. Shyam Selvadurai gives a poignant vision of the political and the personal, which will offer you a plethora of socio-political insights.

Lihaaf by Ismat Chugtai

Lihaaf was written in 1942, in unpartitioned India, when the norms of the society were stricter, rigid and even more conservative than what we’ve today. Lihaaf is one of many of Ismat Chugtai’s bold and unapologetic stories. This novel even landed Ismat Chughtai in a criminal offence for ‘obscenity.’ This fiction is written from the point of view of a little girl who visits the household of Begum Jaan and his husband Nawab Sahab. Nawab Sahab, however, stays away from home most of the time, engaged in other businesses. Begum Jaan yearns for a relationship of love in her loneliness. This is when she finds it with a female servant. Since the story is told by the pov of a little girl, Ismat Chughtai, very wittingly uses indirect words and actions to convey the homosexual acts which unfold between the two. 

Loving Women: Being Lesbian in Underprivileged India by Maya Sharma

This nonfiction LGBTQ+ book is a collection of ten stories based on research. These stories are not from the elitist points of view, but Maya Sharma brings the stories of lesbians from the underprivileged sections of India, particularly rural India. The writer tracks how the women’s movement in India has failed to include female sexuality. This is an exceptionally insightful read on homosexuality, with a different research methodology. 

A life Apart by Neel Mukherjee

A Life Apart by Neel Mukherjee is a fiction, a story within a story. Simply stated, it is a story of two migrants. Ritwik is a young gay Indian man travels from India to UK after the death of his parents and takes up a scholarship to study English literature at Oxford. He wants to build his future far from painful memories of Calcutta. During his stay, Ritwik pens down the story of an educated British woman, Miss Gilby, who joins her bureaucrat brother in Raj era Bengal. Against the backdrop of political and social upheaval in Bengal, she takes English tuitions. 

Me Hijra, Me Laxmi by Laxminarayan Tripathi

Me Hijra, me Laxmi, is a memoir (nonfiction) of Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, the eldest son of an orthodox Brahmin family, who became Laxmi, a hijra. Laxmi was born a male with male organs. At a tender age, she realised her needs as a woman. There was agony and trauma because she felt her body betraying her own self. This first hand perspective educates the readers about the Hijra community, and the anguish and the difficulties they go through. 

The Pregnant King by Devdutt Pattnaik

This LGBTQ+ book by Devdutt Pattanaik has is about king Yavanasha, who accidentally drinks a magic potion that was meant for his wives, and ends up becoming pregnant. The novel poses a question – who is Yavanasha now? The story blurs the line between genders, between woman and man, and explores the question of sexual identities.

Same-Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History by Ruth Vanita & Saleem Kidwai

Same-Sex Love in India presents an array of writings on homosexuality and same-sex love from over 2000 years of Indian literature from a myriad of scriptures and texts from Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and modern fictional traditions. These collections of writings testify to the presence of same-sex love in various forms, depicting the gender and sexual fluidity in ancient India. Through this, it attempts to discard homophobia as a ‘western influence.’ Same Sex Love in India is one of the most revered nonfiction reads on LGBTQ+ community.

Mohanaswamy by Vasudhendra

Mohanaswamy is one of the most bold LGBTQ+ books in the Kannada literary scene. It was released in 2013. The book is semi-autobiographical since this was a coming out of the closet for Vasudhendra, the author, too. Mohanaswamy, is the story of exploration of sexuality, relationships, and life events in the face of being gay. The book highlights the harsh realities of being queer in India. This LGBTQ+ book is divided into short stories.

Our Lives, Our Words: Telling Aravani Stories by A. Revathi

A. Revathi brings the voices of the marginalised communities of trans women in this nonfiction LGBTQ+ book. The Hijra community has been perceived as objects of amusement and metaphors. They lack a concrete history and visibility in society. This documentation of trans women from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu brings forth first hand perspectives and experiences of the Hijra community – the agony, anguish, childhood trauma, and the rejection they have faced from the society. 

The Boy in the Cupboard by Harshala Gupte (Illustrated by Priya Dali)

The Boy in the Cupboard by Harshala Gupte is a LGBTQ+ book for children. It is difficult to find children’s fiction discussing sexuality, inclusivity, homosexuality and queerness in such a refreshing way. It is a heartfelt story of Karan, who, when not in school, is in his cupboard. Even while playing with his friends, he’d come back soon and be in his cupboard. The beautiful illustrations depict a hopefulness for inclusivity and is an amazing way to initiate a conversation with both adults and children on homosexuality.

Art has always had a political undertone. When you really look beyond the aspects of form, medium or, even, style, the core idea, behind it all, is intrinsically tied to storytelling. It seems appropriate, then, that the LGBTQIA+ community has been using art to tell their personal stories and drive political movements since time immemorial.

Modern history has, of course, borne witness to several works that are central to the queer community. However, it’s bordering on being erroneous to assume that queer art is a contemporary effort. You only have to look at Ancient Greek or Indian literature and art to see the truth in this statement.

The critical point of difference between ancient and modern queer art is that the latter is imbued with a focused intention. While ancient queer artistic works leaned towards the idea of ‘creativity above everything else’, modern artwork, centred around the LGBTQIA+ community, has always attempted to strike a balance between ‘creativity’ and ‘storytelling’.

That’s a crucial point to note before going any further. After all, the entire point of this article is to celebrate the manner in which the LGBTQIA+ community has effectively deployed art as a tool to reform socio-political views.

Going back a century, archaic laws and repressive policies were still in effect, predominantly being used to oppress any minority groups that didn’t adhere to heteronormative ideas. Ever since then, the LGBTQIA+ community has addressed these issues, blatantly or otherwise. From photography to abstract painting, queer art has been consistently working towards giving the community its rightful voice back.

Frida Kahlo has been a prominent figure in this effort. Her 1940 piece, titled ‘Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair’, was an iconic statement at the time. Depicting the artist in a suit, with her freshly chopped hair strewn all about her, the painting was instrumental in driving home the idea that gender was a fluid concept. Back then, it was almost an unimaginable thing for a woman to wear a suit, let alone sport cropped hair.

Fast forward to the roaring 60s, Diane Arbus began to get her photographs published in the leading magazines at the time. Arbus, who was bisexual, spent a lot of time capturing the experiences of marginalized groups. It was, perhaps, a shocking experience for the masses to see pictures celebrating drag queens on the issues of esteemed magazines. That, alone, served as a significant avenue for the general public to get acquainted with what was wholly ‘alien’ to them. The option of just flat out refusing to acknowledge the queer community wasn’t available anymore.

The 60s also marked a shift in the social perception of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Stonewall riots in ’69, for instance, had a massive impact on the queer community’s visibility. Up until that point, comparatively speaking, there hadn’t been such an event that demonstrated the community’s unwillingness to bear the intolerance directed towards them.

Still, it’s interesting to note that there was a certain discrepancy when it came to the queer community itself. For example, Yves Saint-Laurent, the co-founder of the fashion label ‘Saint-Laurent’, never had to deny his sexuality in the first place. Even so, this discrepancy did not translate to complacency. As a matter of fact, Saint-Laurent’s ‘Rive Gauche’ collection was an attempt to even out the playing field when it came heteronormative fashion.

Queer Art, perhaps, had never been more vital than it was during the AIDS pandemic in the 80s. At the time, medical concern devolved into unfounded dogma that eventually lead to the LGBTQIA+ community being unfairly stigmatized. There are plenty of artistic pieces that fought back against this. Even to this day, mainstream entertainment media continues to explore the circumstances surrounding that period.

A notable piece that deserves a mention, in this context, is Keith Vaughan’s ‘Drawing of Two Men Kissing’. While the piece, itself, was finished sometime before ’73, it did hold immense significance to the queer community during that time.

It would, indeed, take more than a simple article to comprehensively examine the LGBTQIA+ community’s relationship with art. It doesn’t, however, take more than a minute to acknowledge the difference it has made over the years.

The one thing that serves as a hopeful beacon is the fact that, considering everything, Queer Art is still in its nascent stage. Think about it. The artists who came before had to exclusively focus on fighting prejudice against the community. Now, with a growing support building behind them, queer artists can also channel their efforts into sharing experiences through their preferred artistic medium.

There is so much that we have yet to see. And, without any doubt whatsoever, all of it is
going to be truly beautiful.