Gay men india
‘I have sacrificed a lot’: Growing up LGBTQ+ in India
Listen to this story:
Like most parents, Sourav’s would like to see him “settled”. In India, however, this is a loaded concept. Creature happy, healthy and financially secure are all important, but making a great marriage is the cornerstone of “settling down”. Indeed, 26-year-old Sourav, an IT professional in one of India’s metro cities, would build a wonderful husband to a guy of his preference. But that is the problem.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Warrior women together’: Mothers of the Black trans family
list 2 of 4From Pakistan to India: Tracing my grandmother’s refugee journey
list 3 of 4The lessons trauma taught me: A car expert’s tale
list 4 of 4An Indian abroad: ‘My mind is a graveyard of the living’
end of listIn 2017, when he told his parents he was gay, their illusion of him as the perfect son shattered. He recalled how his mother cried so much, she required emergency hospitalisation for dehydration and low blood pressure. His father did not utter to him for three months.
Unlike Sourav, who confidently asserts himself as a gay man despite the pushback from his loved ones, back in the 1980s an
Earlier this month, first-year graduate student, Rafiul Alom Rahman, shared some of his insights on how same-sex attracted men from small towns in India adjust to life in larger cities, living in what he terms a “self-imposed exile.” He notes that:
For gay and bisexual men from small towns who flock to urban centres for higher education or employment opportunities, the city has much to offer. But, as my friend suggested, this also comes at a cost—an exile from one’s roots in an alienating city.
Rafiul goes on to detail the variety of ways that gay and gender-nonconforming people who relocate to larger metro areas like Delhi must utilize the anonymity of the city, as well as online spaces such as YouTube and gay matchmaking app apps, to explore their identities. With this growth comes a comfort in participating in general events, such as the Delhi Queer Pride Parade. Rafiul states that:
Delhi’s LGBT movement, like that of many major cities in India and, indeed, globally, has been criticized for its lack of critical engagement with questions of caste and class, among other things. For the first time ever, 2015 saw a public articulation of caste in the Delhi Queer Pride Para
The Slow Evolution of Gay Culture in India
Societal values, the caste system, arranged marriages, the elevated probability of entity disinherited for coming out — in India, everything runs counter to lgbtq+ liberation.
BeeLine Reader uses subtle color gradients to help you read more efficiently.
I am at the Marriott on Beach in Mumbai, India. Bobby, a gaybombay.org activist (I grasp only his first name), has invited me to a gay soirée in one of the private clubs: the basement of a huge palace. It is almost midnight, and I discover myself in the sort of extravagant and grandiose party Indians specialize in. India is not a “cool” country; it is a “hot” country (as the writer Salman Rushdie puts it). Young women are wrapped in improbable dresses with immense multicolored scarves; new men wear turbans or chic HSBC bank officer’s suits. There are colossal cakes with whipped cream, served at will, and everyone seems to chat up and kiss each other. The proportion of gays seems significant, but the place is mixed, open, always subtle, and codes are respected, for great measure. “Here it is not a soirée, it’s a partyyyy” Bandana Tewari tells me, spotlighting the y. She is the over-the-top head of t
Gay and bisexual men in India lack vital HIV and STI information and testing rates are low
A study with gay and bisexual men in India suggests many lack knowledge and services about HIV and STIs, while mental health issues and experiences of stigma and discrimination are common.
What is the research about?
The study deeply interested 300 men (aged 18+) from six Indian cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Lucknow) who identified as gay or bisexual. Through questionnaires and interviews, researchers assessed the men’s physical and mental health and their visibility about HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Why is this research important?
UNAIDS reports that gay men and other men who include sex with men are 28 times more at risk of getting HIV than other men. This vulnerability is driven by stigma and discrimination. This puts gay men and bisexual men at heightened risk not only of HIV but other health issues, including mental health conditions and STIs. Despite the health risks that gay and bisexual men experience, there is a lack of research on men who have sex with men, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.&nbs