#desilgbtfest

[desi-yearning]

The Gay Who Can Math.

@desi-lgbt-fest Day-1 : Dream gay aesthetic. <3

Made using Picrew by wervty.

[queenie-arts]

Desi LGBT fest day 1: Dream gay aesthetic

mine? Shells and pearls apparently

@desi-lgbt-fest

[hornscorns]

i love todays dlf theme. need to make something (if i have time) @desi-lgbt-fest

[desi-lgbt-fest]

Oh Hello there, Gaysis!

In the words of our wisest one, og mod: “If you can’t find queer media that represents you, then make it yourself!” 

Truer words have never been spoken, and by honoring those words, we bring you a space of love, acceptance, and creativity. A space to use your voice and become the visionary of what it means to be Desi, queer, and a survivor. So, once again, calling out to all the many many talented writers, artists, poets, directors, leaders, biographers, dreamers, lovers, or those who simply want to tell your story…come and show us what it means to be you. 

The Desi LGBT Fest Mods welcomes you to,

✨ Desi LGBT Fest 2023!!!✨

Where we share stories, poems, essays, art, photographs, and more: 

Queer in themes: this is inclusive of trans, asexuals, aromantics, and all the other niche identities of the LGBTQIA+

Set around desi characters and/or desi settings. Desi including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Shri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, etc.

That’s it! It can be any genre, any desi language, any length. Engage as much as you want, as many times as you want, however you want. 

🧡💛💚💙💜💓

The main tags that will be featured for this year’s fest are: 

#desilgbtfest23 for the overall main contents

#dlf23day[#] (ex. #dlf23day1) for submission-specific prompts each day of the fest

Mods and Creators can include any tags they deem necessary outside of these two for their content, however, if you want your work featured in our blog, then MENTION US at @desilgbtfest on your post and use the tags above. 

And of course, follow the blog for future updates

[desi-yearning]

@desi-lgbt-fest Day-4: Ten Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

A Single Spark

TW: Homophobia

Today I'm here with a real life incident, the first one that I was reminded of as soon as I heard this theme.

It was back in 10th grade, all of us were back to offline classes after the dreadful online ones. 2 years ago, we'd been juniors who looked up to our seniors in 10th grade but now we were those seniors who were looked up to. I didn't realise this much until I finished grade-10.

My school regularly conducted sessions related to hygiene, communication etc and this time the topic was about sexual health. A well known gynaecologist was invited to take up the session for the 9th and 10th graders together. We went to the school hall, I was sitting next to my then best friend.

The gynaecologist first spoke about the importance of sexual wellbeing and how to protect ourselves from STDs etc. Soon after the topic shifted to impulsive and reckless sexual behaviours in teenagers. And that was when she began talking about how teenagers are simply thinking that they are homosexual because they have been staying with people of their same gender for a long time. How it is only because of people they are surrounded by that they think they are not straight. Not being straight is simply now a trend and a trap that young children are falling into without knowing anything. She continued to say that homosexuality doesn’t exist, it is just a misbelief and a phase. She proceeds to urge us not to fall for such things and stay away from people who suggest all this.

And by this time, I was enraged. My best friend was already out to me but I was still closeted, she knew I was an ally nevertheless. There were already rumours going around that both of us weren’t straight and that we were dating each other, so I decided not to risk anything. I controlled myself until the QnA session when I suggested to her that we go and actually question her about it. My best friend was scared, she was anxious about speaking out to everyone but I asked her to trust me with it and I assured that I’ll be the one questioning the gynaecologist and she can just sit beside me. I went forward, took a deep breath and held the mic that was given and asked her why she would simply call it a phase when people from the community are actually existing. And I stated a bunch of article numbers that came up to my mouth because I forgot what the actual one was and said some random lines about how homosexuality was legalised in India. (I mean who would know I was bluffing-) I never in my wildest dreams expected what followed. The entire hall began clapping. They haven’t done that for anyone else, not even for the so-called doctor herself. It was so loud that she had to shout and quieten everyone. It was such a proud moment for both me and my best friend but our happiness was short-lived because the response we got from the gynaecologist obviously wasn’t anything positive. It was after this that I realised how many allies are actually present among us and how their voices just aren’t loud enough to be heard.

Though the gynaecologist’s response made us feel like we went two steps back, what followed after that day was definitely 10 steps forward. Almost a year later, I spoke to a junior anonymously and she told me how that one question changed the entire trajectory of things at school. No one has ever dared to question someone about their homophobic ideas in public but we did. That was enough to begin something that won’t be dying anytime soon. Sometimes all that people need is a tiny bit of revolution, the hope towards change. It is all just a matter of a single spark.

[desi-yearning]

@desi-lgbt-fest Day-3: Fear/Guilt

I'm an ace. *hairflip*

Why.. Why don’t I feel any butterflies when I look at him? What is this feeling that everyone is having when they look at him? “Dirty thoughts” do they call those? Why don’t I feel any of those? Why can’t I think about him in a different way? A ‘more-than-friend’ kind of way? All I can see is that he is a smart guy and good at his academics. Nothing more than that. Am I still a kid and stuck at that age without going through adolescence? They say everyone my age goes through these changes and feels things of this sort, but I don’t. I’ve tried looking at pictures, videos, none of it made me feel anything. Everyone keeps discussing the so-called hot and ‘sexy’ guys and girls, but they look normal to me. At maximum, they look a tiny bit attractive maybe but why does everyone want to kiss them and do “dirty things” to them? They keep sharing all these pictures and videos of half-naked people in the group and they are “simping” over them. What even is simping? I feel like an old granny in between everyone. Am I not normal or weird as they call me for not feeling that way? Is this the only way that someone is supposed to feel? What if I’m never attracted to anyone in my life? What if I don’t want to marry anyone? What if I don’t want to have sex and have biological kids? Will my parents still be proud of me? Will my friends still be friends with me if I don’t talk to them about all that? I’m scared. Maybe I’m supposed to feel guilty for not being normal, but I don’t. I don’t like this at all but this is who I am and this is how I feel. I’ve Googled more about what I feel or rather what I don’t feel and asexual is the term. Maybe no one is going to accept that I’m an asexual, I’m sure they don’t even know that exists. But I do. I’m an ace. (pun intended)

[desi-yearning]

Queer was always here.

@desi-lgbt-fest: Day-2 - Legacy

Legacy/n/: the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life.

Content warning: I’m going to talk about Hindu Mythology looked at from a queer perspective, so if you’re not comfortable with that feel free to scroll ahead!

The first thought that came to my mind when I heard legacy was mythology. The rich legacy that our ancient tales have left behind for us is often forgotten when looked at from a queer context. Hindu mythology is very patriarchal in nature but it does include a lot lesser known queer subtext. In the great epics we find ideas of men turning into women and women turning into men for various purposes to be fulfilled. If you really think about it, they aren’t just eunuchs or confirmed to a single gender/sexuality like what they are portrayed to as, they were transgender people and even transsexual, men loving men, women loving women, non-binary individuals.

Those who are familiar with the Hindu Mythology already know the tales of Vishnu as Mohini who has sons with Shiva as the father, Shikhandini who becomes Shikhandi, Ila whose gender is changed to be Sudyumna but can switch genders monthly, Bhagiratha who was born from two mothers. Tell me you don’t see a queer connotation in all these tales, I’ll wait. Though times were very different back then, people who didn’t fall under the rigid gender and sexual orientations also existed. Ideas in mythology are quite distinct from the views that we all share today, queer people weren’t looked at in the same way as us now. But they were there. (And still some people have the audacity to say that being queer is an elitist and modern concept.) You are not alone in your experiences. Queer people have existed even in the ancient times. Queer was always here.

Title inspired from "Queer was always here" t-shirts by Sebastian Croft. Content inspired from Shikhandi: And Other Queer Tales They Don't Tell You by Devdutt Pattanaik.