Pink Pages

Shunned by a heteronormative society, and persecuted for who they are, gay people have for centuries created their own safe spaces on the fringes of the mainstream. Things changed with the American gay liberation movement and the effects of the counter-culture that brought gay culture out of the closet. As India too slowly graduates from the ghosts of Section 377 into a more hopeful future, it is these very gay spaces in our cities that are getting increasingly out and about.

At this year’s gay Christmas bash at a bar in Bangalore, I met a retired American couple from Boston, who danced to the tunes of both Ma daa Ladlaa and Tub Thumping and swore that Bangalore is no less colorful than Boston when it comes to the party scene. Increasingly, gay night outs and parties are being organized in “regular” bars, and not obscure suburban ones or private farmhouses. Film and art festivals like Nigah are not just expressions of who we are, but indeed help in community building. Just the simple act of holding hands with your partner in a public space is a liberation that these spaces offer to our community.

And so as we move into 2010 with spirited hearts, Pink Pages takes a look at these gay and lesbian spaces in our metro cities and how they’ve helped shape our lives. And as more young gay people migrate from their hometowns to bigger cities they widen the color and vigor of our cultural horizons. Away from the scrutiny of judging family members and protected by liberal anti-discrimination policies of the multinational companies they work for (and straight friends, who at worse, just don’t care) it’s significantly easier for them to be a part of this growing gay cultural scene.

At the end of the day, mainstreaming is a far more effective tool for furthering the cause of gay rights than any slogan or litigation can ever be. And while our cultural spaces need to integrate further with the mainstream, the fact that they can now exist in an environment free of open harassment or discrimination is a step in the right direction.

Plus for you globe tottering fags and dykes, our travel section goes international in this issue. As more and more out gay travelers pack their bags and move around, our travel writers will get you the best of pink life and lifestyle in these places. We start off with the two perennial favorites- London and Paris, cities known for their exotic gay scenes. And when you’re gay and Indian, let Pink Pages be your guide!

Udayan

(Editor in Chief)