Gaysi and Soft Queer Activism

“All of the people in the whole world, I mean everybody- no matter how dull and boring they are on the outside. Inside them they’ve all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds…. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe.” The fifth edition of Gaysi opens with these inviting words of Neil Gaiman. The 154-page zine is a amalgamation of personal stories, comic strips, photo essays and graphic images of acceptance, identity, self-love, self-discovery and they don’t shy away from topics like desire, gender fluidity, sexuality, sensuality and intimacy.

Gaysi, a portmanteau for Gay Desi, is the brainchild of Sakshi and her friend. Talking about its inception, Sakshi says, “When we came out to the world, I personally wanted to be around queer people. There was

just this intense urge and need to feel more grounded. The very first place we looked at was the Internet. There was quite a bit of content available for queer women. However, it lacked the Indian scenario. For me, that was a big issue as it was hard for me to relate to stories that were present online. We though why not we create a space, where we share stories and build kind of a support system for queer women and that’s how Gaysi was incepted.”

The zine not only stands out for its bold content but also its striking art work. Storytelling and visual medium is very veryeffective, stresses Sakshi. “Visual language is easily absorbed by who may not be readers or who may not be inclined towards LGBT issues. When they pick something with attractive art, it appeals to them somewhere or the other. Similarly, personal stories creates a massive impact. You don’t necessarily have to be in the same exact shoes to relate to it. End of the day, we all share a very common ground; we all live in India, have similar challenges, similar ups and downs with our families and similar acceptance issues. Coming-out stories even today are my favourite. It may sound they are all the same but they aren’t. They can be tremendously encouraging. I would say the platform we have created can give courage and draw courage from it as well from sharing of intimate information,” she explains.

Started in late 2008 as a online blog just for queer women, Gaysi has grown a lot since its inception. Today, it covers a lot more content, stories, personal interactions and opinions on its platform from other minorities who fall under this umbrella. They have a yearly print issue which is on its fifth edition. It also takes up offline initiatives like open mics called Dirty Talk, trivia nights, film screenings, book clubs, theatre work, kink workshop, campaigns on bullying, bar nights for queer women and badminton tournaments. And it’s not just about partying, drinking, social meeting kinda thing. Their bar nights are not “plain vanilla party.” It also includes a bit of sensitisation and advocacy initiatives. “We see ourselves as a cultural hub; the language we try to speak is something which is easily absorbed by the people who come to us or people we try to reach out to. Not everybody wants to be actively involved in active activism. Our initiatives is such that people are sensitised even without knowing they have been sensitised.. If we look at Gaysi as a unit, this is what we do: Not hardcore activism but activism in a very social and cultural sense.”

Today, Gaysi has won the trust of the queer community that it is a safe space. “Trust is something that is tremendously important to the queer women in order to get them out of the closet. Queer women in a way in India are doubly discriminated. First, you are discriminated for being a woman and then you are discriminated for being a queer woman. Social media is not only a safe space but also helped us reach a wider audience. Internet dilutes the borders. I can write something here and someone in Timbuktu reads it, relates to it and gets in touch. It is also very cost effective; we don’t have to publicise in newspapers or do a large-scale publicity about it,” she adds. Other than LGBT-centric media, mainstream media too has changed tremendously in the last 2–3 years regarding their attitude towards the queer community, especially after 2013 Supreme Court Verdict, where they received a lot more media coverage. “Obviously, it is not perfect but it’s improved a lot more compared to the last decade,” opines Sakshi. Today, apart from queer community, mainstream media is covering a lot of LGBT issues. And it is not only restricted to online media like Homegrown and Buzzefeed but also Times of India. DNA has a section on gender and sexuality. Most cover on a superficial level though, she points out, adding, “Most topics they are covering now is something we had covered in greater depth 2008–2009. From the community being involved in what is happening in context with the society, I think we are the right person to keep the current scenario relevant, ask right questions. Even if it the generic question, we delve deeper into it.”

However, the law is the biggest challenge right now. On a positive note, Sakshi adds, “Over the years, in terms of society, there has been far more acceptance. There are a lot more families who are accepting and a lot more kids who can handle it a bit better. There are a lot of initiatives been taken by colleges when it comes to having workshops and panel discussions on gender and sexuality; there are colleges today who have a LGBT group in their campus. There is homophobia and transphobia here and there but a lot of progress has been made. Again in the community and outside of the community”


Author : Dr Sweta Jalan

The editing wizard, Dr Sweta Jalan, has a penchant for perfecting stories. A pro at multitasking and incessant follow up, she ensures that deliverables are met in a timely manner. She has completed her dentistry from Manipal University and has a MPH form Sheffield University, UK.

Healthcare Executive

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Healthcare Executive is an exclusive online Healthcare Business magazine based in India .

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