A Gender and Sexuality Magazine
The future of the LGBT community in Honk Kong has recently been provided with a huge boost ever since the judgment of W v. Registrar of Marriages [2013] HKCFA 39 has been delivered by the Court of Final Appeal on 13th May 2013. The Court of Final Appeal found that the decision given by the…
[This artwork was contributed under the pen name Moony.]
There are numerous criteria for judging a character which we come across in books, TV shows, movies and other popular media platforms. We look for characters who are relatable and memorable with adequate character development, yet none of these traits should seem forced. It must be genuine for us to appreciate it. However, when you…
A magnifying glass is also known as bi-convex lens which is a combination of two convex lenses. From an unusual distance, the image formed through the glasses appears inverted but at a distance close to eye, the image formed through it emerges larger than the usual size. Same concept applied to the society, when we…
The film Fandry, directed by Nagraj Manjule is a Marathi film surrounding the themes of repression, caste and sexuality. Several subversive and implicit themes in the film enrich this story of unrequited love from a lower-caste boy Jabya towards an upper-caste girl Shalu, in the Maharashtrain village of Akolner. The film relies heavily on symbolism…
The universe as a whole, is but an ocean of immortality, with various gems and priceless stones, floating in the cosmos defying gravity. Our planet amongst the crores, is another renowned yet claimed shore, which is a consortium, of creatures, dust, marine, magic, and more. But then came divide, to save the pseudo honour…
The queer movement in India has sparked nationwide debates all over the country. The battle against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code has been won, however the war against the heteronormative structure of the society still continues. The Hindu mythology is a proof that alternative sexual orientation did find a place in the society….
Homosexuality is no new ‘concept’ to India, however, it still remains a taboo, trapped behind the bars of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The draconian law, implemented by the colonial British government and embraced by the post-colonial India, still enjoys its perks of terrorizing, bullying, mistreating and discriminating against the LGBTQ+…
Transgender individuals occupy the traffic signals and junctions largely in urban areas. Yet, invisible visibility continues to haunt them. When met with non-conforming gender identities the immediate reaction of any community is that of panic. Non-conformist sexual orientation is mocked and transgender people often find themselves at the receiving end of disproportionate ridicule from the…
This piece depicts child sexual abuse questioning whether the death sentence would really curb the crime, or it’s an easy way to distract from the actual problem? The work is on canvas with use bold acrylic brush strokes. This artwork was contributed by Divyanshi Singh. Divyanshi is an LLM graduate who loves to express through…
Authored by a collective of self-proclaimed black feminist lesbians, ‘The Combahee River Collective Statement’ is a manifesto that addresses the issues of those at the bottom of the hierarchical power structure in a society, homosexual black woman. They are subject to simultaneous and interlocking oppression due to their membership in several oppressed social groups such…
If I was the “other” is a piece I am supposed to write. But what is the other, what is it that makes them the “other”, why is there a need for there to be an “us versus the other”? Why can’t we all be just us, just humans? This world is a place where…
Maya is a name affectionately selected for the ease through which it conveys complexity. ‘Love’ in Nepali, ‘illusion’ in Sanskrit, and many more meanings that it holds within its two syllables. What do we attempt to do, here, with this queer magazine? What does Maya mean for us? Maya as it is, provokes us to…
I write this short paper as a comment on Sara Mills and Michel Foucault’s works. Sara Mills analyses Foucault’s observations on sexuality from his book titled, ‘The History of Sexuality Volume 1’. This paper reacts to some of the critical observations and analysis by Mills as well in her book titled ‘Michel Foucault’. It is…
Such epistemic murk around the L word. Aren’t all trying to work around the L word? No Shireen for me, no Heer, I’m no Qais, Other desires too lurk around the L word. Jehangir’s City, Shalimar, Anarkali, Left my heart there to bark around the L word. Tigresses may take all in Sundarbans, A male,…
[This artwork has been contributed by Mishika Chowdhary, law student, Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat. She is also the Creative Editor of Maya.] This is an adaptation of Kira Blake Schnitzler’s art work.
Indeed, while it is popular today to condemn the period of the Muslim rule in India as regressive and narrow minded, attitudes towards homosexuality were far more progressive among Muslim rulers than the British who replaced them. There is a vibrant debate taking place in India over decriminalization of homosexuality. While the Supreme Court did…
(Muana has specific meaning in the context. Muana refers to the ‘place of origin’. In this poem, Muana is trying to locate herself in the society after accepting that she was a lesbian. It is where she finds her real self and tries to endure the pain of being sabotaged by the societal stigma and…