Christmas is Here

Prayer service in Manchester

December is here

A walk around Manchester

Christmas cards

First batch of Christmas cards inspired by Japanese paintings .

Challenging heterosexuality and nationalism through queerness.

As summer turns into autumn and winter the giddy joy that came with the season grows dim. This summer we celebrated Pride as usual. For the most part the festival is in accessible to me due to the cost. The other factor is that the festival does not speak much to me. Commercialism combined with a touristy feel make the event seem like one big giant party.

As a few LGBTQ friends and I walked past Manchester’s gay village on Pride Saturday and Sunday one of them remarked at the glut of rainbow flags in town in the shops of big business. Pride she claimed had lost the plot. I agree with her. It is wonderful that big businesses is supportive of the LGBTQ community but are they really? In a world where big business has taken over smaller business, exploits its workers a mere rainbow flag does not remedy the exploitation. As a black lesbian my friend saw the precarious peace she occupies in a homo-nationalist celebration.  Now that LGBTQ people are protected by the law of the land institutions that were once known (and still are) for their homophobia have jumped on a similar bandwagon.

Perhaps the most ironic one of these institutions was the Home Office and its support for LGBTQ people. For over a week now I have seen rather disturbing news of a young gay Ugandan friend being deported back to his country. This is not an isolated case, another friend I admire is in a similar situation for over a year. She is Nigerian and not lesbian enough. I am not comforted by the fact that the Home Office employs LGBTQ people. Both these people are Christian and members of the LGBTQ community. I mention their religion, as this is almost always a reason quoted by people of the faith and not to bash Africans and to justify the superiority of Britain. In more liberal Christian circles being tolerant of LGBTQ people is a sign of changing times in the nation, homophobia and transphobia is an African problem relegated to that continent alone. To non-Christians homophobia and transphobia in the global south is due to being trapped in religion and culture. Then of course there are cultural Christians to whom Christianity is an identity which is white and European. While the continent of Africa has some nations that have re criminalised homosexuality this takes on a nationalistic fervour. Homosexuality is imagined to be a western import corrupting the youth distancing them from good family values. Heteronormativity is invoked family is imagined to be a perfect situation where men and women marry in a lavish ceremony and produce the right amount of children. These ideas aren’t left unchallenged feminists and LGBTQ groups in these regions do challenge this idea. While Western Europe is imagined to be a safe haven for the community the rest of the world is thought of as backward lagging behind in social progress it does not have the same magnanimity to accept some of its citizens.

Intersectionality is lost in these debates, LGBTQ identity is thought of as the preserve of white lesbian and gay people (the the b’s, t’s and q’s don’t make it in this fantasy). That one can be non-white, LGBTQ, religious, disabled….. is never considered. White LGBTQ groups are notorious for their racism. The village in Manchester is perfect example of this which is very selective in its demographic. People of colour are not participants in this community only cab drivers and kebab makers, on the periphery. LGBTQ people are conceptualised through a homo-nationalistic lens, white, gay male and middle class, who then occupy the majority position in public forums. Terms like pink pound explain this situation perfectly. Revolutionary fervour and the precarious position the community occupies are lost in this celebration. It is wonderful that some sections of the community are in influential positions and have it easier than others however that sections acceptance has meant that homophbia and transphobia are thought of as a thing of the past, it happens everywhere else but here.

There is another way of looking at queerness and nationalism and that is through a black lesbian feminist perspective. Gloria Anzaldúa suggests another way that reaches out across national boundaries.

As a mestiza I have no country, my homeland cast me out; yet all countries are mine because I am every woman’s sister or potential lover. (As a lesbian I have no race, my own people disclaim me; but I am all races because there is the queer of me in all races.) I am cultureless, because as a feminist, I challenge the collective cultural/religious male derived beliefs of Indo-Hispanics and Anglos; yet I am cultured because I am participating in the creation of yet another culture, a new story to explain the world and out participation in it, a new value system with images and symbols that connect us to each other and to the planet.  Page 102- 103 Anzaldúa

In an era where nationalism is becoming a universal feature of all nations challenging notions of nationhood and homo-nationalism are pressing issues. Culture must be deconstructed.

Reference:

Anzaldúa, G. (1999) Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza . 2^nd edition. Aunt Lute Books. San Francisco

The limits of post structuralism

It all started with a simple question- what is post structuralism. Not being able to resist showing off I gave a long twisted answer. I have sat in lectures listening to post structuralists, I still don’t know what it is about or how it is applied. I understand the basics however most of it eludes me. A case in point is writing by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak whose writing no doubt has several important points but remains inaccessible. While I know this is deliberate attempt to open up the text to interpretations it does not make it accessible. Spivak’s arguments are important for black feminists yet alienating to those trying to understand it. For years I have struggled to read ‘Can the Subaltern Speak?’ For years I have pondered over paragraphs and sentences unsure who the text is for. I claim the same subaltern status Spivak does as woman of colour, I am written about as a helpless woman in need of rescuing. As an academic like Spivak I am privileged in one sense, yet as an early career academic of colour I have little or no visibility or voice. 

Can I as a subaltern then speak? No. Can I as a subaltern access the tools for my liberation? No. Can I as a privileged academic make space for other non-privileged women and men? Yes I can, in fact it is my duty to make my work accessible. Following in the footsteps of black feminist writes such as Audre Lorde and bell hooks I feel writing should be made accessible.

Post structuralism is deliberate in its obscurity, the reader has to construct and deconstruct the text which will be open to several interpretations. It delights in being difficult. To me this is an expression of privilege. This writing if vital to the subaltern should be accessible to the subaltern, yet it hides behind erudition. To quote Audre Lorde ‘the masters tools will never dismantle the masters house’. Inaccessible writing does not and will not reach the people who need it most. Academia in most parts of the world is an elite enterprise, hidden behind exorbitant tuition fee, and limited by the identity of scholar. Deconstruction while a clever philosophical stance does not lend itself to accessibility. Spivak like several other post structuralists is well educated in some of the finest institutions of the world. While she lacks privilege as a woman of colour she makes up for in education and position.

Post structuralism is preserve of those in higher education. Black feminism on the other hand takes difficult concepts transcribing it into simple and accessible writing, loosing none its integrity. It encourages activism and liberation.

PS: Here is a link to Post Structuralism explained using hipster beards 

Burmese tofu stir fry

This is a very simple recipe, it is vegan and gluten free what could be better. 

This is best and simplest recipe  of Burmese tofu on  the internet. I have however improvised it a bit . I usually add in finely chopped onion and red and green peppers. This adds colour and nutrition, it also saves time cooking the vegetables separately. 

The recipe above is very simple. Slice mushroom, spring onions, sauté the mushrooms in a flat pan till they have a nice colour on them add in the white bits of the spring onions separately in the pan toss them in the pan for a minute. Season the vegetables with soy sauce and sesame oil. You could season this dish with any sauce you like and adjust the seasoning accordingly. The tofu can be sautéed similarly in a pan, it wont get very crisp but it develops a light skin, season accordingly.

To prepare the noodles boil water in a deep pan add a little salt add the noodles cook till al dente, drain. Keep a little water from the noodles. Throw the noodles in a dish season with soy sauce and sesame oil or any oil of your choice. A spoon or two of the noodle water will prevent it from drying out. 

To serve place noodles in a dish, add the vegetables and tofu, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and finely sliced green bits of spring onions. 

PS: I have tried this tofu with various kinds of seasoning. It makes for a nice salad which doesn't require cooking. I chopped mint leaves, onions and peppers and added it to the tofu. To serve the salad I added Burmese tofu that had been in the fridge for an hour with a lime and palm sugar dressing mixed with mint leaves, onions and peppers. 

Feel free to try variations on this recipe and please experiment. 

Liverpool on a cloudy evening.

25 years and still strong - Asylum magazine.

I am proud to work on the editorial collective of Asylum magazine. This year we have four special issues on the theme of comics and mental health.  Helen Spandler is an academic who has been involved in Asylum magazine for a number of years.  Here is a podcast about History Of Asylum Magazine by Helen Spandler

You can subscribe to us here 

Soteria Network AGM

Caturday

Black cats are the last to adopted. This little kitten showed up on my doorstep. Cats and blacks cats are anything but bad luck. 

Manchester In Autumn

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Every year transgender people are killed across the world. They are murdered due to their identity as transgender people.  At the start of the year I heard about the deaths of five transgender women the number has grown since.

In the month of November we remember them and hope that there comes a time when transgender people can live their lives in peace.

A remembrance event has been set up in Nexus Cafe on 19th November between  7.30-8.30 pm 

Har saal transgender log duniya bhar mein maare jate hain. Unkie hatya is wajeh se hoti hai kyon ki unki pechan trangender hain.  Is saal ke shuruwaat mein maine paanch hatyaon ke bare mein suna tab se yeh sankhya badti gayi hai.

November ke mahine mein hum unko yaad karte hai aur ummed karte hain ki aisa waqt aye ki transgender log apne zindagi shanti se guzaar paye. 

Unki yaad mein ek ghante ke liye hum Nexus Cafe mein 19th November ko shyam ke 7.30 se 8.30 baje tak mil rahien hai.


हर साल ट्रांसजेंडर लोग दुनिया भर में मारे जाते हैं. उनकी हत्या इस वजह सो होती है क्यों की उनकी पेचानट्रांसजेंडर हैं. इस साल के शुरुवात में मैंने पांच हत्याओं के बारे में सुना तब से यह संख्या बढ़ती गयी है. 

नवंबर के महीने में हम उनको याद करते है और उम्मीद करते हैं की ऐसा वक़्त आये की ट्रांसजेंडर लोग अपनी ज़िन्दगी शांति से गुज़ार पाये.

उनकी याद में एक घंटे के लिया हम नेक्सस कैफ़े में १९थ नवंबर को शयम के ७.३० से ८.३० बजे तक मिल रहैं है. 

Language and mental illness

‘I am such an idiot!’ Said the woman sitting behind me in a cafe. This is mild compared to people self-diagnosing themselves at the drop of a hat; one is no longer tidy OCD is the new term used to describe a preference for cleanliness. Language is important anyone who has been diagnosed with a metal illness will tell you the term schizo, spaz or autistic don’t feel particularly empowering.

While mental illness is still stigmatised and feared in society the idea of it has trickled down into everyday speech. This perhaps is a triumph of the system, it no longer has to worry about going out to diagnose, we have become our own policemen. Foucault in his writing did envisage an era where power would be distributed in such a way that it became a means of self-regulation. Visibility as he pointed out was a trap. Mental illness is one such trap, our behaviour is constantly normalised to such an extent that any deviation is automatically classified as mental illness.

Mental illness is also dependant on language as the language to describe mental deviation is almost always unpleasant. Terms we throw about carelessly have an effect on a person. 

November is here

Women, Addiction and Nation- My latest article

One of my articles has been published by Ragged University it is a free article and you can access it by clicking the link below.

Women, Addiction and Nation

Based on work that eventually lead me to write my thesis this article tackles some of the issues I came across whilst dealing with an apparently clinical condition. 

Queer black representation in films

I felt rather privileged to be invited to speak as a panellist at a film festival organised by Rainbow Noir this weekend. I was amazed by the independent films I watched, some heart warming some pointing out a frightening reality experienced by QTIPOC around the world.

At the heart of this festival lay two basic ideas one to showcase Black LGBT history through cinema and the second to provide a wider representation of the LBGT community. Representation is perhaps the most important issue here. October in the UK is celebrated as Black History Month. Which while essential is not very well publicised and often is met with accusations of racism. These accusations could not be further from the truth. History is often told in an ethnocentric manner, forgetting an essential part of the process. The history of black people is often forgotten or told crudely, lacking in nuance. However even within the events organised as part of Black History Month some histories are not told.

At a conference I was earlier this month a participant spoke about how the only Black History they learnt was about slavery. Black identity is not a monolith it covers several intersectional identities, each of which have their own intellectual standpoint. In an era when LGBTQ identity is either (re)criminalised or punished by death history of the community takes on a political meaning. A  classic example is India where both pro and anti LGBTQ rights groups argue by using history as an example. Claiming and locating homosexuality either in the west or in an ancient past does little to remedy the situation at hand. Homosexuality is often spoken about as a western idea and a consequence of westernisation threatening to erode the moral fabric of ‘traditional’ society. Despite these claims LGBTQ history does exist, it does not always follow a linear path or conform to the present day narrative, it is still a history that needs telling.    

Films are perhaps the best medium to capture and transmit this history. A popular means of communication of ideas films are often used as propaganda and the mouthpiece of the nation. The three biggest cinema industries (Indian, Chinese and Hollywood) are characterised by their heteronormative content. Given the nationalistic element it comes as no surprise that most films communicate a heteronormative, patriarchal reality. LGBTQ characters if present tend not to be main characters adding very little to the plot. Then of course there is the problem of stereotyping where the LGBTQ character lacks nuances and is solely a part of the scenery. The Vito Russo Test seeks to address the issue of LGBTQ representation in films its criteria being. While it does not guarantee the film is a good representation a lot of mainstream films fail to pass this test.

Representation is  a problematic area of mass media. at its heart lies the idea that mere inclusion is not enough for representation to matter it needs to be nuanced, it needs to challenge and dismantle stereotypes. The problem with an incorrect representation is that it informs a large majority about a minority. Playing into existing fantasies about a minority  a poor representation does  not build an understanding of minorities as people. Mainstream cinema tends to be formulaic and ahistorical even when it attempts to portray history it presents an anachronistic version of history.  Black people and particularly black LGBTQ people are excluded from this cinematic history.

Watching the numerous films I did on Saturday one could see a nuanced narrative of the community, safe, precarious, dangerous, celebratory, happy and sad. These were not mainstream films, while not perfect they captured the nuanced life of the community. Thinking back of the LGBTQ films I have watched it was almost always the non-mainstream films that have done any justice to the subjects they seek to represent. This is particularly true of Indian cinema, mainstream cinema uses homosexuality as a running gag through films, gay best friends, fashion designers or butch women bodyguards are the only visibility the community receives. In contrast Indian art cinema which is not commercially viable manages to create complex characters for whom there is sympathy not scorn. Memories of March by Rituparno Ghosh is one such film that tackles homophobia, coming out of the closet and acceptance without resorting to stereotypes. While the film is by no means perfect it is mature in its depiction of the LGBTQ community in India.

As stated earlier mere presence is not always indicative of representation, knowledge of the subject (in this case the LGBTQ community) is essential. Mere visibility does not always help tackle a complex subject, as Foucault points out visibility is a trap. While it is assumed that films have little or no effect on our formation of stereotypes the idea is not true. Films represent our daily lives, our fantasies. It is no surprise then that the common Hollywood trope where the black man dies first is also a reality on the streets of America.  When the only image one sees of transgender characters is comical, promiscuous and confused is it any surprise then that those are the exact slurs used against transgender people in real life.  In my research on Bollywood films and their audience the blur between cinematic reality and mundane reality crossed paths. While whistling at raunchy musical numbers on screen the men who watched these films also extended this behaviour to women around them. Cinema is not divorced from reality neither is it a discrete entity which is contained in a cinema hall. To represent accurately is not pedanticism but a necessity.

                                                          Trailer Memories in March 

Autumn Greetings in this season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Films feminism and disruption

In the space of two months I have seen protests about two films- Stonewall and The Suffragette. Both films deal with historical reality yet distort it to fit a convenient narrative. These aren’t an aberration but a rule. 

As Foucault points out visibility is a trap. Mainstream cinema is a means of propaganda it soothes our fears it reduces complex narratives to good and bad. It takes revolutionary ideas and domesticates them, taking the uneasy aspects of those ideas out. The stonewall riots were a response to corruption and everyday violence that threatened the most vulnerable in LGBT community black transwomen. Similarly the suffragette movement was more than the vote, it was a challenge to unfair and unequal laws that endangered the lives of women, physically, mentally, and socially.  The vote was only part of the demands that came from women who were being treated unjustly by a system that actively worked against them. That Sophia Duleep Singh has been erased is not surprising it is expected. The presentation of history in film tells us more about our present than our past. Mainstream cinema can only provide a comodified version of feminism.

I say comodified because the edge is taken out of the movement. Emotion replaces the revolutionary ideals of the movement. We still get the standard heterosexual narrative which allows the best looking people with a love interest to live and the rest to die. By the end of the film lose ends are always tied up. Emotions stand out more clearly than an actual narrative. Nostalgia characterises the storytelling. This is a clever strategy the heightened emotions on screen are cathartic.

Feminism is disruptive, it doesn’t make anyone feel good or triumphant. It is a force that is constantly challenging social boundaries. Feminism requires personal sacrifices it is not easy or convenient it requires breaking patterns of behaviour that we take for granted. Cinema of course works on an opposite model, it soothes all disruptions it creates a space to live out distress and then calms one down much like a therapy session. 

End Human Trafficking and Slavery

October in the UK is marked as Black History Month. Presenting history that is not part of the mainstream curriculum and remembering events that are often forgotten is the aim of the month. Slavery and colonialism form a large part of that untold history. We relegate slavery to the past forgetting it is still a modern problem. People are still trafficked into sexual, economic and medical slavery. It is only fitting that we remember both the past and resist injustice of the present.

The problem of present day slavery is tied to economic affluence and seated in an ethic that devalues human life. While 1833 is thought to be the year slavery was abolished not all aspects of it were abolished completely. Economic greed and lust are still some of the chief causes for this crime to continue. 

Manchester Cathedral is hosting a day conference in conjunction with several activist organisations and individuals committed to fighting this oppression. 

Miso Udon Soup

This is my most professional looking bowl of noodle soup I followed the techniques from watching chefs and videos. One of the nicest meal I had and even taught a friend how to make this.

Ingredients.

Miso Soup
Udon Noodles
Sesame Oil
Tofu
Spring onions
Mushrooms
Seaweed sheets

Drain and slice tofu add it to a pot of boiling water throw in sliced mushrooms then spring onions (the white bits) followed by strips of the seaweed. Boil for five minutes. Boil noodles in a separate pan drain (you can boil the noodles in the same pot as the vegetables, it thickens the soup a bit and adds to the nutritional content). Add miso with a pinch of pepper and sugar in the serving bowl and dissolve or dilute in a tablespoon of water. Put in a portion of noodles ladle in the soup garnish with the green bits of spring onions, a few strips f seaweed and a few drops of sesame oil.

PS: I am going to try this recipe with dumplings next

Harriet Tubman- Black History Month

You can read more about Tubman's work Here

AfroFuturesUK- A free conference

Afro Futures_UK, a collective of researchers, artists, programmers and activists exploring new ways of examining blackness and futurism. We are hosting a FREE Afrofuturist Conference and Exhibition on 10th October 2015. Please join us and share widely

October is here

I  painted this in the summer and forgot about it now that autumn is here and the trees are going red and orange I had to post this. 

St Josephine Bakhita. Black history month

One day I unwittingly made a mistake that incensed the master’s son. He became furious, snatched me violently from my hiding place, and began to strike me ferociously with the lash and his feet. Finally he left me half dead, completely unconscious. Some slaves carried me away and lay me on a straw mat, where I remained for over a month. A woman skilled in this cruel art [tattooing] came to the general’s house…our mistress stood behind us, whip in hand. The woman had a dish of white flour, a dish of salt and a razor. When she had made her patterns; the woman took the razor and made incisions along the lines. Salt was poured into each of the wounds. My face was spared, but six patterns were designed on my breasts, and 60 more on my belly and arms. I thought I would die, especially when salt was poured in the wounds… it was by a miracle of God I didn’t die. He had destined me for better things. St Josephine Bakhita 

St Josephine Bakhita   1869- 8th of February 1947 is the patron saint of  Sudan and  regarded as the patron of victims of human trafficking. She is the only Sudanese saint. She is the first African to be canonized since the early centuries of Christianity where the early Church was established and produced several saints. Cannonised in 2000 on 1st October remembering her is a wonderful start to black history month. 

A Catholic charity Bakhita House Project based in the UK  that works with victims of human trafficking aiming to provide refuge and professional help to those affected. To contribute to the charity click here

Little Flower

  True Charity consists in bearing with all the defects of our neighbour, in not being surprised at his failings, and in being edified by his least virtues; Charity must not remain shut up in the depths of the heart, for no man lighteth a candle and putteth it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. (Cf. Matthew 5:15). It seems to me that this candle represents the Charity which ought to enlighten and make joyful, not only those who are dearest to me, but all who are in the house. 

 Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (Doctor of The Church) 

Carnations

Red Blossoms

Now that autumn is here everything has a beautiful red glow on it.

AfroFutures_UK- Free Conference/exhibition in Manchester.

This October you can be a part of AfroFutures_UK, a FREE conference/exhibition in Manchester and the first of its kind. Our seminal event will be held at the Manchester Digital Laboratory on 10th October from 10am-6pm, and will combine art & technology to present new visions of black identity through presentations, spoken word, workshops, film screenings and live performances. The day event will also be followed by an AfroFuturist themed Drag Ball at Terrace NQ, with free entrance for all backers.

Contact -

Twitter: @AfroFutures_UK

Facebook: AfroFutures_UK

September is here

Queering Nationalism and nationalising the queer- An observation from Political Pride Manchester

The last weekend was busy Manchester Pride and Political Pride were both running at the same time not to mention the numerous events around the city. It is lovely to see everyone making the most of the last of summer.

While Manchester Pride was the centre of the city Political Pride was more restrained and certainly focused on the LGBTQIA community. A month before Manchester Pride shops had rainbow flags everywhere. The very same organisations that have have been pulled up in recent years for mistreatment of workers of all sexualities. This alignment with a fringe movement would seem contradictory but it is not. As one friend remarked Pride has become a family event full of rainbows where you can take your children to wave at gay people who will wave back. We have forgotten how this is a same community that was going to unleash the destruction of the family and morality. Rainbows are bright, cheerful and non-threatening. You can pick up a bag of British carrots and potatoes in a shop full of rainbow flags.

This is where the change lies the community that was once dangerous has now been domesticated. It has been given the same moral institutions that heterosexual individuals are expected to enter into- marriage. Marriage is the one institution that carries with it not only a gendered patriarchal expectation but also a nationalistic one. Gay weddings are not only good for business but also good for the national image. Gay marriage is now seen as one of the last bastions of liberation. It plays on the idea that by offering the LGBTQIA community the same ‘privileges’ as heterosexual couples equality has been achieved. It plays into the idea it is so much better out here than anywhere else where gay people are murdered.

The problem with this comparison is that it puts across a crude idea of queer liberation through the framework of national identity. Isn’t that how the right plays the immigration debate, eroding British values, their liberalism interfering with our liberal society. Needless to say we won’t be seeing a black liberation march meet such acceptance anytime soon. Pride events have come to pit one issue against another. Homosexuality is pitted against race and immigration. The apparent liberation of the LGBTQIA community is seen as a benchmark of civilisation. Is it any surprise then that this argument is used in the LGBTQIA community. In the few years I have lived here I have been told to be grateful, or asked why my country or community are homophobic. Some even going as far to say well black people have been through so much why are they so homophobic? Then of course is the other side of this propaganda black people and immigrants have it so good however being LGBTQIA is still looked down upon.

Queerness has acquired nationality in its fight for liberation. It is both a mark of liberation and national degradation. However this is not an idea that is alien to nationalism. Anne McClintock claims that all nationalisms are gendered and dangerous. Taking this argument forward it would be appropriate to say nationalism is gendered and heterosexual. Since the link between women as reproducers of culture symbolically and literally signifies the strength of the nation its obvious sexuality must also be mentioned. Given the strong connection family plays in nationalism is it any surprise that heterosexual women who fail in this expectation are immediately classified as lesbians. Similar fears exist around feminists of all sexualities whose claims are often thought of as damaging family life.  

While Britain is going through a phase where gay rights are more accepted the same cannot be said for other nations that have recriminalised homosexuality. I will stress on the word recriminalised here because it is often imagined that the history of homosexuality in the global south has been a monolith since Independence.  Recriminalising homosexuality has much to do with nationalism, as it has to do with the resurgence of religious and political extremism. Take for example Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code  which became an issue in the general election of 2014. Both sides of the debate focused very little on the present but went back to the glorious past. The liberal side arguing that our history has had a liberal interpretation of sexual identity which has only just been destroyed through colonisation. The counter argument that is put forward is that Indian values have been eroded in the recent colonial past and sexual morality must be restored. Both sides harp on the past and both do little for the LGBTQIA community in the present.

It is the liberal side of the argument that is picked up by LGBTQIA activists in the west Britain included. While the role of colonialism cannot be negated to insist that the former colonial subject is still reeling under cultural trauma denies agency and panders to homophobia. Recriminalising homosexuality in this moment of time comes as no surprise, at a time when censorship and violent opposition to anything perceived as non-Indian exist homosexuality is one of the many casualties.

History is used as a political tool to justify social exclusion. Indian history in particular has a way of making inroads into political, scientific, cultural discussion. We are both a liberal and conservative nation at the same time when it suits us. Nationality plays a role in how we view all kinds of issues. What I mean by this is that history is invoked to justify the problems of the present. Take for instance the homosexuality debate where a few random moments and exceptions in history are used as an argument. Invoking history does little for a community that lives precariously on the margins. However it is not all bad as there is still space for gay marriage in India, while homosexual activity is criminalised the law does not ban gay marriages, loophole that came under scrutiny in recent months. As in the west this was met with exhilaration, however it was short lived.  The gentleman in question and his mother put out a matrimonial advert which like the millions of adverts in Indian newspapers demanded ‘a boy of an upper caste background’.  As in the west this did not challenge the status quo but affirmed it.

The most exhilarating thing queerness can do in light of these changes is to queer gendered heterosexualised notions of the society it lives in. While it is wonderful that the law now accepts gay marriage it should not turn into the end of the discussion.  Queerness at the heart of it has the potential to challenge troubling ideas of nationality, gender, sexuality, race and class.