India’s ‘progressive’ stance when it comes to transgender people is yet to stand the test of time. Back in 2014, the Supreme Court’s NALSA v. Union of India verdict made waves by recognising transgender people as a third gender, giving them the right to self-identify and access the same opportunities as anyone else—be it education, […]
Who’s this guy? Queer readers in India and all over the world, know this. We lost another stalwart and role model. He was one of the computer pioneers, the doyen of word processing software in the 80’s. Son of a fiddle-playing farmer Bruce Wayne Bastian was born on March 23, 1948, in Twin Falls, Idaho. […]
Thailand is poised to become the first nation in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage after the Senate approved a marriage equality bill on Tuesday, 18 June. The bill’s passage is heralded as a monumental step forward for LGBTQ+ rights in the region. The Senate voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bill, with 130 senators […]
Earlier this week, on 28 May, Pope Francis apologized after being accused of using a highly offensive slur to refer to gay men during a private session with bishops. Unexpected Words from a Bridge-Builder The pope’s choice of words, reported by major Italian news outlets and confirmed to The Washington Post by a senior Vatican […]
Guwahati: The transgender community of Manipur has raised strong objections to the inclusion of only 239 of its members in the northeast state’s final electoral rolls, asserting that this figure significantly under-represents their actual population. The adult transgender population of Manipur exceeds 4,000 according to community representatives. The final electoral rolls, released on Monday by […]
An important moment is the upcoming parliamentary debate on the treatment of military veterans affected by the historic “gay military ban.” The government’s first decision to call off the debate drew much criticism, but it appears to have changed its mind. Until the year 2000, LGBTQ+ people were banned from joining the British military, that […]
A family may consist of various configurations of adults taking care of biological and non-biological children. A decision by Supreme Court last week declared that same sex couples and other non-traditional families are entitled to equal social benefits same as the other traditional families (having one male as father and one female as the mother). […]
An SHO (Station House Officer) and a constable in Rajasthan were suspended on earlier this week in a virtual sex related blackmail incident. The SHO accused the constable of blackmailing him. The men were reportedly in a ‘relationship’. Nagaur superintendent of police Ram Moorty Joshy says the action was taken because the duo ‘harmed the […]
With its first Queer Beauty Queen crowned Miss Bhutan, this tiny ‘traditional and conservative’ country, sends a message in inclusiveness to her larger South Asian neighbours. Out and proud 23-year-old Tashi Choden Chombal was crowned Miss Bhutan 2022 and is now all set to represent the country at Miss Universe 2022. During the competition […]
A major concern among non- heterosexual persons and communities is the insensitivity of the press , when it comes to reporting on LGBTQIA issues. As far as mainstream press reporting in India is concerned, in most cases, journalists are not even aware that that are being insensitive. Queer Chennai Chronicles and The News Minute have […]
The passion of a pioneering Catholic nun for Guwahati’s third gender, championing their dignity, rights and recognition, has resulted in the first Church approved shelter for the Hijra community in Assam.The Catholic Church has started its first safe house for the marginalized transgender community in the Northeastern State of Assam this month. The opening of […]
Who is purple, has a beehive hairdo and is absolutely fabulous? Thus ran the third editorial in The Indian Express on Friday, commenting on one of the mini-figures in a toy collection. And why? The iconic colours of the Pride flag are stepping into the Lego realm with its new ‘Everyone is Awesome’ set. The […]
