Being a sexually active individual over the last two decades in India has been a curious, exhilarating and even shameful experience. Growing up in a middle-class family in Mumbai who considered themselves to be liberal-minded when it came to matters of sexuality and relationships though, we didn’t talk about sex really.
As a queer adult in India, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sex-positive relationships are the path to liberation amidst a culture of sex-negativity, shame, and fear. Across India, rape culture, hegemonic masculinity, as well as erotophobia and sex-negativity contribute to the prevalence of inconsistent or ineffective education around consent and sexuality.
As a community, queer folks have long been marginalised and misunderstood. However, it is the queer community that has been responsible for heralding the sexual revolution in India. Right from the Section 377 protests to Pride marches, the LGBTQIA+ community has reclaimed space and expression for misfitted individuals in a normatively oppressive society.
The advocacy of consensual non-monogamous relationship styles that counter monogamy and heteronormativity, are also inherently queer directives; ones which allow the fluidity of gender and sexual identity and help individuals to discover the meaning of love, pleasure and safety within the cocoon of a meaningful relationship.
This story is from the August 11, 2023 edition of Outlook.
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This story is from the August 11, 2023 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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