TAG: india

Sex work isn’t illegal. So why has the Indian government blocked 240 escort websites?

If we really want to clean up sexual expression among adults, let’s adopt a new standard: consent.

India vigils in memory of Orlando shooting victims

By Orinam Jun 13 2016 A makeshift memorial with flowers and handprints rests in a parking lot near the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. source: Getty via NPR The mass shooting in Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, US, during the early hours of June 12, resonates with those of us who have faced […]

Section 377 violates the principle of non-discrimination, hope Supreme Court of India recognises that: UN expert

The State has a responsibility for protecting the LGBTI community from violence, a UN expert said on Wednesday, adding that he hopes that the Supreme Court of India makes an “enlightened” and “progressive” decision on the matter.

The sexual politics in February 2016

In February, there were good news to report from both Haiti and Europe. In the case of Haiti, the Penal Code reform is underway and the draft document approved by a committee of juridical experts includes a provision that legalizes abortion on the basis of public health concerns and freedom of women. Although this is […]

We queer people will do everything to ensure our liberty, even if it takes some Bollywoodising

Conservative estimates would place us at 2% of any population. In India that’s a delightful 2.5 crores who are potentially criminal for indulging in sexual intercourse with other adults of the same sex, as per the perverse Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.

2015 Sexual Politics Round- Up

As the year heads toward its end, SPW recollects main trends and facts in sexual politics worldwide. January Pope Francis drew global attention after urging the faithful not to reproduce as “rabbits”. The remarks sparked reactions from the most diverse quarters actors (here and here). In Chile, a new law was approved that recognized civil unions […]

Reflections On The Limitations Of The Call For Full Criminalisation Of Marital Rape: Madhu Mehra

I will critically discuss the campaign for (full) criminalisation of marital rape to call attention to ways by which this campaign reduces a potentially tranformatory agenda on gender, sexuality and marriage, to one of law, crime and punishment.

Holding Kings to Ransom – Royal Women in Matrilineal Kerala: Manu Pillai

Below is an edited excerpt from Manu S.Pillai’s forthcoming book from Harper Collins, The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore. The book throws interesting light on gender and political power in the matrilineal royal houses, and offers tantalizing hints about the pre-colonial roots of brahminical patriarchy in the region.

Of Flags and Fetishes – The Paris Attacks and A Misplaced Politics of Solidarity: Debaditya Bhattacharya

I have absolutely no problems with flag filters on Facebook. Or for that matter, profile-picture revolutions that happen all too often. I’m not, in the least bit indignant about such a competitive exhibitionism of feeling – indexed through a currency of memes and emoticons. In an age of such mass-production of violence (‘terroristic’ or ‘humanitarian’), it is no surprise that the event of mourning must become a symptom of the incompatibility between ‘act’ and ‘response’.

Partners for Law in Development (PLD) launches an online database, Feminist Law Archives

The Partners for Law in Development has launched the Feminist Law Archives (FLA) to celebrate the rich and vibrant history of feminist engagement with law in India. The FLA is an online portal which chronicles the evolution of debates, perspectives and activism within the women’s movements in India by providing access to documents and advocacy materials from […]

Undetermined Discriminations: Trans* persons Rights Emerging post 2014 in India

The legal status of trans* individuals in India was discussed quite extensively in the 2014 case of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) judgment by the Supreme Court of India.

What Modi didn’t tell Zuckerberg about women and digital freedom

Shiv Visvanathan @ShivVisvanathan If Facebook has face value, Modi’s interview with Mark Zuckerberg at the Town Hall was an immaculate performance. It was controlled, correct and precise to the point even the tears as lack of control were perfect punctuation marks. Yet, every statement has its silences, every text, a context and if we annotate […]