SAWNET: The Khush Page

For and about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered S. Asians

Organizations

Literature

Cinema

Who's Who

News

Links

Organizations

SAGrrls is a mailing list for, by and about South Asian lesbians and bisexual women. The purpose of the list is to create a safe space to share thoughts, feelings, and ideas and to establish a network for individuals to exchange information. At the current time, this mailing list is OPEN ONLY to any LESBIAN or BISEXUAL WOMAN who self-identifies in part or whole as a South Asian or who has some significant familial South Asian heritage. All subscription requests are verified. Subscribe by sending email to sagrrls-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Contact the list owner at sagrrls-owner@yahoogroups.com.
Desidykes is a mailing list for South Asian lesbian, bisexual and transgendered women. Send email to desidykes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Khush is an unmoderated mailing list for gay, lesbian, bisexual South Asians and their friends. The purpose of the list is to discuss South Asian gay culture/experiences/issues, as well as form a social and support network. For more information, send email to khush-list@egroups.com
Lesbianindia2 is a mailing list for lesbians and bisexual women resident within India. Non-resident lesbians of Indian origin are also welcome so long as the discourse has relevance for Indian lesbians. To subscribe, send email to lesbianindia-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Gay-Muslims is a mailing list for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Muslims.
Indianplu (Indian-people-like-us) is a socio-political mailing list for Indian gays and lesbians in Singapore/Malaysia.
Pakistani Dykes is a mailing list where Pakistani lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning women can find a safe space to deal with coming out and sexuality issues, and express ideas, thoughts and opinions. The list also aims to facilitate the creation of a network for individuals to make friends, find contacts and exchange information. All topics related to issues affecting the lives of Pakistani lesbian, bisexual and transgendered women may be discussed. The list is open to all lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning women of Pakistani origin, either living in Pakistan or elsewhere. To subscribe: send email to pakistanidykes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Sri Lankan Gay Friends is an online support network of for gay, lesbian and bisexual Sri Lankans.
DesiQinSoCal is a list for LGBT folks resident in Southern California. To subscribe, send email to DesiQinSoCal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Women of Trikone is a list-serve for queer women of South Asian descent from the San Francisco Bay Area interested in building a strong community, engaging in discussions, networking, sharing news and advertising events. Allies who identify as women are welcome as well.
Shamakami is the (world's oldest surviving) international journal and network of South Asian feminist lesbians and bisexual women. Submissions from women of South Asian descent, anywhere in the world, are welcome. Subscriptions are US $15/year, $10 for a full set of back issues, $2 individual issues. Contact: Shamakami, P.O. Box 1006, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. Tel: (301) 681-0109, Fax: (301) 681-0115 Email: nretina@erols.com.
The Humsafar Trust in Mumbai is a male sexual health agency that runs a clinic, help lines, and support system for male sexual minorities.
Saheli, a support network for Lesbian/Bi/TranMTF of South Asian descent in Sydney. Contact Poonam: (02)9832 7707(home) Uma: ph:(02)9559 4486(home) (02)9514 3660(work) Email: umakalishakti@hotmail.com
Of Colour: Lesbians and Gay men: 201-223 12th Ave SW, Calgary Alberta T2R 0G9, Canada. (403) 234-8973.
Sangini: a lesbian support project. Provides information, counseling, support, help and advice for lesbians and women exploring their sexuality. Calls from friends, family, partners and other organizations are welcomed. Help line, Tuesday 6 - 8 pm: (011) 6859113 or 6851970/71. Weekly meetings on Saturdays, 3 - 6 pm, are open only to lesbians and women exploring their sexuality. Address: Sangini, c/o Naz Foundation (India) Trust, PO Box 3910, Andrews Gunj, New Delhi 100049. Email: info@naz.unv.ernet.in or Sangini97@hotmail.com.
Sisters, for polycultural lesbians. P.O. Box 26, Tambaram, Madras 600 059
Trikone (tri as in trim, kone as in cone, Sanskrit for triangle) is a non-profit group for lesbian and gay South Asians, operating out of the Bay Area of California. Their web site includes a resource directory and a magazine. They have several branches around the US.
Khuli Zaban is an organization of and for South Asian lesbians and bisexual women in the Chicago/Illinois/Ohio/Michigan/Indiana areas. The focuses of the group are sharing resources such as books, magazines and newsletters, networking, socializing, breaking the isolation, and coalition-building projects with other groups. Voice mail: 312-409-2753 E-mail: khulizaban@hotmail.com
The South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association (SALGA) is a group for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered people who trace their descent from countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet as well as people of South Asian descent from countries such as Guyana, Trinidad, and Kenya. Our monthly meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month from 3:30 to 5:30pm at the Lesbian and Gay Community Center: 1 Little West 12th St. Monthly meetings are open to South Asians only. All are welcome at social events.
Address: P.O. Box 1491 Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10113.
Phone: (212) 358-5132 Email: salganyc@hotmail.com
Saathi -- South Asian Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals of Montreal.
Khush Texas, Texas. A safe and supportive network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered South Asians who live in Texas. The goal is to get to know eachother and provide a forum to discuss our lives as queer South Asians. Ultimately we hope this will grow into a fully-fledged organization with its own website, message board, events, and resources to give us a place to call our own in Texas.
TrikoneTejas: a progressive coalition of queer and straight students of Asian heritage at UT Austin. Their web site has an extensive list of gay/bi/lesbian resources.
Satrang (formerly TrikoneLA) is a social, political, cultural and support organization providing a safe space to empower South Asian LGBTIQs (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Questioning) in Southern California. Through education, networking and outreach we are committed to creating awareness and acceptance of queer/alternative sexualities and gender orientations. Trikone-NorthWest: a political and social resource for queer South Asians in the Pacific Northwest. Email: tnw@trikone-northwest.org

A list of gay-related organizations in India, at Khushnet.
S. Asian gay-related organizations in other countries, at Khushnet.

Gay/Lesbian SA Literature

Because I have a Voice: Queer Politics in India. by Arvind Narrain and Gautam Bhan. Yoda Press, Delhi, 2006.
Bombay Talkie, by Ameena Meer. An Indian-American 21-year-old, Sabah, travels to India. Family saga of three generations of rich Indians who try to find stability and roots as they lurch from crisis to crisis in Bombay, London and New York. One of the main characters and some minor ones are gay.
Cereus Blooms at Night. Shani Mootoo. Pressgang Publishers, Canada, 1996. Set on the fictional island of Lantanacamara, Cereus Blooms at Night takes its title from a rare, night flowering cactus whose scent can transport you to ecstatic realms. The story of Mala, an eccentric and reclusive old woman, is told by her gay nurse, Tyler. As he pieces together fragments of Mala's life, unforgettable characters enter his world and change it forever. Part magic realism, part psychological drama, this haunting novel explores a world where love and treachery collide. [Review on Rediff]
Cinnamon Gardens: Shyam Selvadurai. Harcourt Brace, 1999.
The crooked line : Terhi lakir. Ismat Chugtai Translated from Urdu by Tahira Naqvi. Asian Writers series, Oxford, England.
Facing the Mirror: Lesbian Writing From Indi ed. Ashwini Sukthanker. Penguin India, 1999.
Feminist Fables. Suniti Namjoshi Terse, witty, lesbian fables. Spinifex, Melbourne. 1993.
Funny Boy. Shyam Selvadurai. Harvest Books, 1997. A coming-of-age story set in a privileged family in Sri Lanka, paralleled by growing ethnic tension.
The Golden Gate. Vikram Seth's wonderful novel written entirely in sonnet form. It's not about South Asians at all, but has a gay (bi) relationship.
The heart breaks free & The wild one. Ismat Chugtai Translated from Urdu by Tahira Naqvi. Kali for Women, New Delhi, 1993.
The Invisibles : a tale of the eunuchs of India. Zia Jaffrey. Pantheon Books, New York, 1996.
Zia Jaffrey, daughter of the well-known Indian food writer Madhur Jaffrey and heir to a hybrid Indian-American culture, found herself fascinated on a visit to India by a separate and extraordinary caste--the hijras, or eunuchs, castrati who dress as women and live together. Empathizing with their sense of otherness, she pursued the story of their semi-secret existence. The hijras have a long tradition in India, yet are regarded with great ambiguity. On the one hand they are invited to attend weddings and births, thought to bring good luck despite their crude behavior, bawdy jokes and bad singing. On the other hand there is much fearful speculation as to how they perpetuate their caste--some allege the abduction and castration of little boys. Jaffrey sensitively investigates these mysteries.
The book and Ms Jaffrey's own web site.
UD Review
Review from India Darshan
Junglee Girl Ginu Kamani: Aunt Lute Books,P.O. Box 41067, San Francisco, Calif. 94141. 1995. Review from Indolink.
My Beautiful Laundrette and other stories by Hanif Kureshi. A classic gay coming-of-age book, made into an excellent film. Set in Britain among the Indian community.
A Lotus of Another Color: An Unfolding of the South Asian Gay and Lesbian Experience, edited by Rakesh Ratti. 1993. Alyson Publications, Boston.
Love in a different climate: men who have sex with men in India. By Jeremy Seabrook Verso, 1999.
Love and Longing in Bombay. By Vikram Chandra. A collection of short stories, one featuring a gay relationship.
Loving Women: Being Lesbian in Underprivileged India. By Maya Sharma. Yoda Press, 2006. Documents the life-stories of ten working-class queer women living in north India.
Madras on Rainy Days, by Samina Ali. [Sawnet review]
Miniplanner Abha Dawesar. A debut novel written in the voice of a gay white man in Manhattan. [Sawnet review]
Myself Mona Ahmed, by Mona Ahmed & Dayanita Singh. Scalo, 2002. [Review at Outlook]
Neither Man nor Woman: The Hijras of India. Serena Nanda. Wadsworth Pub Co, 1998.
Ode to Lata Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla. A novel about a diasporic Indian searching for love in the bleak streets of LA. [Sawnet review]
Out on Main Street. Shani Mootoo. Pressgang Publishers, Canada, 1993.
Pearls of Passion: A treasury of lesbian erotica. Edited by C Allyson Lee & Makeda Silvera. Women of Color Press, Toronto.
Piece of my Heart. A Lesbian of Colour Anthology. Edited by Makeda Silvera. Sister Vision Press, 1992.
Queer Looks Pratibha Parmar, John Greyson, Martha Gever. Routledge, 1993.
Quilt and other stories (Lihaaf) . Ismat Chugtai Translated by Tahira Naqvi. 1990. Kali for Women, New Delhi. Lihaaf, originally published in 1945, has stirred controversy through the ages for its portrayal of a relationship between two women.
Sakhiyani: Lesbian Desire in Ancient and Modern India.. Giti Thadani London: Cassell, 1996.
Same Sex Love in India: Readings from Indian history and literature by Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai. St. Martin's Press, New York. Writings on same-sex love from over 2000 years of Indian literature. Translated from more than a dozen languages and drawn from Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and modern fictional traditions. [Review at Outlook] [Review from Asian Age Online]
Sappho and the Virgin Mary: Same-sex Love and the English Literary Imagination. By Ruth Vanita. Columbia University Press, 1996.
Sex, Longing and not Belonging: A Gay Muslim's Quest for Love & Meaning. Badruddin Khan. Floating Lotus, 1997. A deeply personal look at the life and love of men in two worlds-Pakistan and North America, offering insightful material on Islam and homosexuality.
Shiva and Arun. P Parivaraj. In the south Indian town of Chitana, two boys discover early on the pleasures of gay sex. Shiva's family are upper-caste Brahmins; his father is the temple pujari, a wealthy hereditary priest. Shiva plans to break away from home and tradition, but finds his life in turmoil when his marraige is arranged. His school friend Arun faces similar problems, but struggles to maintain his own identity while Shiva succumbs to family pressure. Vivid sex and gentle humour spice this tale of contradictions in the life of India today.
The Splintered Day: V.K. Mina. Serpent's Tail, July 1999. Structurally untraditional, sometimes erotic and sometimes painfully hip, Mina's first novel is a story of romantic exhilaration and disaffection among the youthful tribes of a profoundly multicultural New York City. [Sawnet review] [Review on Monsoon mag] [Review from the New York Times]
A Suitable Boy. By Vikram Seth. A massive novel set in India in the 50s, with a vast cast of characters from all socio-economic groups, religions and lifestyles. Some gay, or more properly bisexual characters.
Torn Shapes of Desire: Internet Erotica. Mary Anne Mohanraj Intangible Assets Manufacturing, 1996.
Virtual Equality: The mainstreaming of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement . Urvashi Vaid. Anchor Bks. 1995 Winner of the American Librarian Association Award for best non-fiction book in gay and lesbian category. ...chronicles how the gay community has transformed itself from a hidden minority to a visible presence in the American mainstream, but at a huge cost....gays enjoy access to power, but no real power. [] argues that the gay community has reached the limits of "mainstreaming". [The gay community] must wake up and face the forces that divide it: the current leadership crisis, the lack of a coherent agenda, the new gay conservaties, the threat of anti-gay legislation, and the gay ghetto.
What was Always Hers: Uma Parameswaran. A book of short stories about Indo-Canadians. One story features a lesbian/bi couple.
Yaraana: Gay writing from India: edited by Hoshang Merchant. South Asia Books, 1999.

Cinema

Films by khush SA women or relating to the SA khush experience.

Hima B.: Straight for the Money: Interviews with Queer Sex Workers. A documentary exploring the lives of marginalized people -- lesbian sex workers in the sex industry.
Nisha Ganatra says: "The inspiration for making Junky Punky Girlz was the isolation that I was feeling being in a space between two cultures.": Junky Punky Girlz is a 12-minute humourous film about an Indian-American girl in New York's East Village who goes to get her nose pierced. The film was awarded the Outstanding Short Film of the Year from PBS, and was the Film/Video winner of Gay Pride Episode 1997. A loaner copy may be available: send email to avinash@acm.org.; Drown Soda, deals with the life of a young girl, whose parents get divorced. Her father is Indian, mother is American. The mother has custody of their two children, and the father's interaction with his daughter is limited to a few arranged meetings, making it a traumatic experience for both. The film goes on to show the father and daughter rebuild their relationship.; Chutney Popcorn takes a light-hearted look at the subject of assimilation and tradition through the experiences of an Indian Family living in the US. The film stars, among others, Madhur and Sakina Jaffrey.
Vismita Gupta-Smith: For Straights Only. explores life for South Asian gays and lesbians. Told from the perspective of a straight sister about her gay brother, the film includes conversations with many South Asian gays and lesbians. These conversations focus on issues like - growing up in a homophobic culture, coming out and the gay movement in South Asia. 20 min. For purchase, contact vismitag@hotmail.com.
Suniti Namjoshi: Flesh and Paper. A 26-minute film in which lesbian writer Namjoshi and others discuss her life and work, with readings of her poetry. Born into an Indian royal family, She now resides in England. Her poems, fables, and novels are characterized by her wry and satirical humor, informed by both a lesbian consciousness and a deep Indian cultural framework.
Deepa Mehta: Fire. Stars Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das. Set in Contemporary India, Fire is a bold and compelling story of two sisters-in-law who break the bonds of obedience and tradition to start a new life together. [Sawnet reviews and newsclips].
Pratibha Parmar: Warrior Marks, 1993. A film with Alice Walker exploring the controversial reality of female genital mutilation in Asia and Africa. [Sawnet reviews & newsclips]; Memsahib Rita. "Shanti's face is brown and painfully Indian, even though her mother was a beautiful white woman. Can Shanti survive in London's East End, with the ugliness of racism around her and the bitter memories of a mother who committed suicide, unable to take the pressures of an interracial marriages In this unusual fictional short, studded with fantasy and magical realism, there are some surprising answers."; Sari Red.; Khush. [Sawnet review].; Memory Pictures. 1989.; Flesh and Paper. 1990.; The Colour of Britain (1994, 58 mins) looks at the work of renowned South Asian artists who are at the forefront of redefining British culture. Available from NAATA A Place of Rage. 1991 [Sawnet review]
Pratibha Parmar's films are available from Women Make Movies, 462 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY. (212) 925-0606. email: orders@wmm.com.
Ligy J. Pullappally: The Journey. Kiran is mortified by her growing lesbian desire for the effervescent Delilah, in an idyllic Indian village where arranged marriage is the only acceptable form of coupling. Available from Wolfe Video.
Nidhi Singh: Khush Refugees. Rahul, an immigrant from India, and Dante, an ex-marine from suburban Ohio, try to assimilate into San Francisco's gay culture only to find that in a community of exiles, one is always a refugee. Singh has created a sensitive docu-drama that captures two individual coming-of-age stories intertwined with mutual experiences as "outsiders." Available from NAATA
Bolo Bolo: Focusing on the South Asian community of Toronto, this video is a constructive tool for facilitators, educators, community workers and anyone interested in organizing around issues of health, sexuality and cultural identity. The response of the diasporic South Asian communities to the AIDS crisis is documented through interviews, information and a weaving of images. At the core of the film are the testimonials of artists and activists-gay, lesbian and straight-who talk about the barriers and successes of organizing around AIDS. Available from NAATA; Girlfriend, directed by Karan Razdan, 2004. A Bollywood film with a love triangle and a brief erotic scene between two women.

Who's Who

Kashish Chopra

Minal Hajratwala

Surina Khan

Giti Thadani

Theresa Thadani

Urvashi Vaid

News/Articles

[See also the full News page and Articles page]

NRI lesbians sue to legalize gay marriage in Washington State. Times of India, March 2004.
Lesbianism still taboo and scary in Nepal. Himalayan Times, 6 Dec 2003.
Beauty pageant contestant takes pride in her heritageb and sexuality. NY Blade, September 2003.
Knot happy. Raksha Bandhan at GayBombay brings the community together. Deccan Herald, Saturday, August 16, 2003
Coming out. No more queer pressure, only gay abandon. Indian Express, July 27, 2003.
India's Online Gays -- revolution or high-tech closet?. Pacific News Service, Nov 2002.
Indian Gays step out. Little India, June 2002.
Mythologist from Mumbai: Devdutt Pattanaik queers Hindu lore. L. Ramki Ramakrishnan in Trikone, July 2002.
The Hijras of Pakistan, a photo essay by Dennis Drenner in Queer.
Celebrating South Asian Pride. Trikone held a cultural event in the Bay Area. From Asian week, 5 April 2002.
Eunuchs boosted by voter disillusion. BBC News, 14 Feb 02.
Lesbian couple hold Hindu wedding in Ambikapur, Chattisgarh. BBC News, May 2001.
Indian lesbians are coming out of the closet in increasing numbers, says India Today. May 01.
GLBT activists from Sri Lanka honored in NY by human rights organization. March 01.
On the Terrace, a short story about gay life in Bombay by Dinyar Godrej.
Lesbophobia raises its head in Indian women's groups. Tehelka, Mar 01.
Coming Out, Coming Home. Sandip Roy Chowdhury writes about the gay South Asian diaspora, in India Currents. Sep 00.
5 members of the Eunuchs party have been elected in Madhya Pradesh. London Times, Jan 01.
Urvashi Vaid's speech at the March on Washington, 1993.
Long life of a short film. Riyad Wadia's account of making the film BomGay. Includes video clip of the film.
Bisexuality: the sudden reveal. Sheela Raval and Anshul Avijit on the emerging bisexuals in Bombay. India Today.
A placard reading 'Indian and lesbian' caught the eye.... Ashwini Sukthankar writes about her own role in the Indian lesbian community. oneworld.org.
Queering Gender: Trans Liberation and Our Lesbigay Movements. P. Seshadri and L. Ramakrishnan in Trikone, July 99.
Bisexuality: identities, behaviours, and politics. L. Ramakrishnan in Trikone, April 96.
Coming out, coming home India Currents article on the current status of gays and lesbians in South Asian society.
Gay group finally marches in New York's annual Indian parade. Aseem Chhabra in thinkindia.com, 21 Aug 00.
Of minorities within minorities. Rediff article abotu DesiQ2000.
The Mystery of the Threshold: Ali of Southern India. A documentary project about the Ali (transvestite/eunuch/transsexual/hermaphrodite) by Ulrike Niklas in Kolam.
Canada's Muslims against same-sex marriages. Times of India, 18 Apr 00.
Eunuch elected to Madhya Pradesh assembly. Times of India, Feb 00.
A Tale of two Countries. John Burbidge discusses immigration issues faced by same-sex partners from the US and India. Trikone Magazine, Oct 99.
Gay Even in Sydney said to be an affront to Hindus, from India Abroad. [The original article]
Homosexuality -- myths and reality. Afsan Chowdhury writes about gays and lesbians in Bangladesh. Daily Star, 19 Nov 99.
The Shadow Citizens. Afsan Chowdhury writes about gays in Bengali Society. Himal, July 99.
Dhaka forced to face sex taboos. A clampdown on homosexuals in Bangladesh. South China Post, 21 Sep 99.
India's modern-day eunuchs. A 20/20 report on the hijra community in India, by Anderson Cooper, ABC News. See also an online chat about the show. 14 Oct 99.
Identity, by Urvashi Vaid. Trikone magazine archives.
Minal Hajratwala interviews Mary Anne Mohanraj, author of a book of internet erotica. Trikone magazine archives.
An interview with Giti Thadani.
Indian lesbians demand decriminalisation of homosexuality . 10 Aug 99.
Deepa Mehta's Fire creates controversy and protests in India -- an ongoing update of newsclips. Dec 98.
Urvashi Vaid appointed new director of Policy Institute, NGLTF -- March 1997.
Out, Loud and Seen. The Asian and Pacific Islander Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Movement, Past and Present.
SALGA joins Gay Pride march, New York 1998.
Supporters of 'Fire' protest outside the Indian consulate in NY. More newsclips about the Fire controversy.

Links

A legal issues page from Gay Bombay, which discusses the legal issues relating to homosexuality in India.

Desh Pardesh is a nonprofit arts/cultural commmunity-based Toronto organization bringing together SA communities in the West. Their main event is an annual festival & conference about diasporic South Asian arts, culture, and politics in Toronto. It is lesbian, gay, and bisexual positive, feminist, anti-racist, anti-imperialist, and anti-caste/classist. 96 Spadina Ave #607, Toronto, ON M5V 2J6, Canada. (416) 504-9932, fax (416) 504-9973, Email: desh@io.org

Counsellors, psychiatrists, social workers and mental health professionals who are culture-sensitive and sympathetic to g/l/b issues. Compiled by Trikone-Tejas.

India Gay Resource is an extensive listing of resources for gay South Asians. Includes regional information, organizations, overseas sites, online clubs, and travel.

Last updated 12 November 2008 Contact us: info-at-sawnet-dot-org