It would be an understatement to call the response to the first issue of Pink Pages overwhelming. We have been flooded by letters from LGBT people all over India who have found a new voice in the form of Pink Pages. We are also thankful for the positive criticisms and loads of suggestions for improvement. We’ve tried our best to incorporate them into this issue, and will continue to do so in the future.
November 2009 Issue
As the Indian LGBT community has now got its long desired freedom from Section 377, it’s also time to thank those men and women who’ve made this momentous achievement possible. And the one name that is almost synonymous with the early days of the Indian gay liberation movement is that of Ashok Row Kavi- India’s pioneering gay rights activist. The first person to speak out forcefully in the public domain for the rights of sexual minorities. Ananya Dhote catches up with this iconic figure at a café in Delhi and shares with us what Kavi has to say about his activism days and the new dawn of freedom.
Also, as Indian gays and lesbians are now slowly but surely coming out of their closets, what has sprung up is a feeling of togetherness, a community bonding. The enterprising nature of our community has been made evident in the way we fought against all odds in the battle for legal recognition, but now that it has been achieved, this nature of ours is also creating ripples in other fields. Most notably, through the power of pink money. Gay couples are what corporate prefer to call DINK- double income, no kids. And so, businesses in India have started targeting the gay community like never before. From travel and tour agencies catering to same-sex couples, and merchandise stores selling gay oriented products, we now have night outs being organized in five star hotels. And believe me, all this is just the beginning.
Also introducing to our readers in this issue is a new section- The gay agenda. Our commentators will share their opinion on matters of crucial importance to the Indian LGBT community. Harish Iyer discusses the latest findings of a national opinion poll that found that Indians have a long way to go before fully accepting gay people. Also featuring is Rohit Dasgupta’s first hand experience at the Outgames, the spirit of which could hardly be deterred by the outrageous bombings orchestrated by a rightwing homophobic fringe. Ahana writes a touching personal account of what it means to be a transgendered woman in a country like India, where effeminate men are scoffed upon. Meanwhile men rocked at India’s first all-men’s fashion week in Delhi. All this plus a lot more in the following pages, so sit back and give yourself a pink read!
Letters to the editor can be addressed to: editor@pink-pages.co.in
