g_b the Queers Pets Meet this Sunday!

2015-02-22 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
Gay Bombay, Queer Ink and the Hive present the Queers Pets meet! As we recover from an amazing Pride 2015 Gaybombayhas a fun and interesting meeting lined up for this Sunday @ The Hive, Khar:the first Queers Pets Meet!  Anyone who knows queer people know how we love ouranimal friends. Dogs,

g_b servants and sexuality

2015-01-06 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
This very well written piece brings up a subject that matters to most middle-class Indians - the servants who are the ubiquitous, if often un-acknowledged parts of our lives: http://www.ndtv.com/article/blogs/a-hole-in-the-heart-of-my-family-641504 It reminded me of a piece I wrote some years

g_b LGBT food

2014-12-21 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
Pearls Before Swine, an engagingly offbeat comic strip that runs in Mumbai Mirror, recently had this strip which referred to a LGBT sandwich (thanks to the lag that Indian newspapers run comics, the strip came out in September, but only ran here this month):Pearls Before Swine by Stephan

g_b In case you are photographed in a compromising position...

2014-11-27 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
Just in case you ever happen to be photographed in an intimate position with someone of the same sex and happen to need to explain it away you might want to use this masterful explanation from Vivek Mishra, who seems to be someone intent on making himself a celebrity by becoming India's first

g_b RedFM Bengaluru speaks to the wife who filed the 377 case

2014-11-23 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
This recording of a RedFM show is really worth listening to because the host manages to connect with the wife who filed a S.377 case against her husband when she learned he was gay. https://soundcloud.com/redfm-bengaluru/disha-oberoi-explores-section-377 There has been quite a lot

g_b remember sections 388 and 389 IPC

2014-11-23 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
When the Supreme Court upheld Section 377 one of the immediate reactions was that this was a shocking case of the court empowering blackmailers. Throughout its history S.377 - and similar laws across the world - has been used extremely successfully to extort money from gay men who are too

g_b (unknown)

2014-11-23 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
An interesting article from the excellent online news magazine Scroll.in on how children's and young adult books in India are starting to include lgbt characters: Gay characters, single-parent families: Books for Indian kids begin to reflect real life Gay characters, single-parent

g_b Are you watching... Faking It ?

2014-11-23 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
For those who haven't discovered this MTV US comedy show, just find some way to watch it! It is, sadly, not showing in India and I wonder if it ever will (70:30 chances I think, since MTV India sometimes likes to push the envelope and the show doesn't show explicit sex, even if it hints at a

g_b from Indian Express: A letter from a mother to her son

2014-11-23 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
In advance of Children's Day on November 14th, the Indian Express' Sunday supplement published a collection of letters from parents to their children. This is a particularly moving one from a mother to her queer son. (Please consider posting comments about it. All too often we leave online

g_b GB Film Club Screening on Sunday November 30th

2014-11-23 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
This is just to tell everyone to mark their calendars for Sunday November 30th when GB will be having one of its super popular Film Club screenings. It will be happening, as usual, at National College in Bandra from around 1.30 pm to 8 pm. This is a free event, but entrance is restricted to

g_b What Tim Cook is telling Singapore and India

2014-11-09 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
A piece by me in response to Tim Cook's coming out: Will Singapore, India continue to disregard LGBT rights? Will Singapore, India continue to disregard LGBT rights? As multinationals become quiet advocates for equal rights for LGBTs how long will investment and technology hungry

g_b Australia's anti-gay churches shift focus to Asia Pacific

2014-11-09 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
An article that really should be read to alert us to the threat that these ex-gay organisations might pose to use in India. As this article notes, because they are facing a dead end in places like Australia they are shifting their focus to places like India. And far from providing just an

g_b two attempts to take on homophobes

2014-10-20 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
Here are two recent attempts to take on homophobes which are worth seeing, though this first one is frankly a bit of a train wreck: Check Out This Irish Senator's Awesome Smack Down of Russia's Anti-gay Propaganda Ban: VIDEO |News | Towleroad Check Out This Irish Senator's Awesome Smack

g_b isumasuqputit

2014-10-05 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
When queer Indian kids come out to their parents they sometimes say that one of the problems they had is they didn't have the words to explain the concept of being queer to their parents in the language they speak. What words they could think of often had negative connotations which they felt

g_b RIP Goolam Vahanvati, an advocate for LGBT rights

2014-09-04 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
Goolam Vahanvati, the ex-Attorney General of India passed away yesterday from a heart attack. He was much in the news in the last years of the previous government particularly for having to defend some dubious legal decisions. But what should matter to us is that he was a supporter of

g_b Pride the film, and the documentary on the story behind it

2014-09-04 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
The trailer of Pride, a new British film about an unlikely alliance between gay activists and striking miners during the Thatcher years has been getting a lot of publicity. It looks like its going to be a really great film to watch, Billy Elliott with much more gay interest (Billy did have that

g_b Listen to judges tearing apart homophobic arguments

2014-08-29 Thread Vikram D vg...@yahoo.co.uk [gay_bombay]
For all of us who were in court during the Supreme Court hearings on the Naz case and remember the awfulness of hearing Justice Mukhopadhaya responding to our lawyers arguments with total ignorance and prejudice, the audio in this link affords a certain irrational satisfaction. Because

g_b second chance!

2014-04-24 Thread Vikram D
Curatives to be heard in open court! Judges accepted our request for an open court hearing of the curatives. There will probably be a date given next week, but after that the recess starts, so then it will continue after. Judges will be Lodha, who is the next CJI, Dattu and Mukhopadhaya (who

g_b congratulations + curatives

2014-04-18 Thread Vikram D
A bit belated, but BIG CONGRATULATIONS to all our trans friends and members of these lists for the NALSA verdict. I think its a particular point of pride for us in Mumbai that people we know well like Laxmi were petitioners in NALSA. From the little I know about the case, it was Laxmi's

g_b BuzzFeed story on the Hassan arrests

2014-02-17 Thread Vikram D
This is a really well researched story of what happened in Hassan recently done by Lester Feder of BuzzFeed with the help of on the ground work done by Bangalore based activists. The story was only lightly reported in the national media and a lot of the nuances and details were missed out. When

g_b Vikram Seth: Through Love's Great Power

2014-01-29 Thread Vikram D
Vikram Seth has just written a poem that is perhaps the most powerful, moving and fitting response to both the Supreme Court's decision to recriminalise LGBTQ people, and its refusal yesterday to reconsider this. The last line says as much as longer articles and op/ed pieces would. He has

g_b review petition today (28th Jan)

2014-01-28 Thread Vikram D
Today, 28th Jan, the Supreme Court will decide on whether to review the shameful decision written by Justice Singhvi in Koushal vs.Naz.   The Court has been urged to do this by a huge outpouring of voices from the public expressed through mainstream and social media, in India and abroad, by

g_b NDTV reports that SC rejects review

2014-01-28 Thread Vikram D
This is from NDTV - the SC bench of Justices Dattu and Mukhopadhaya have apparently rejected the review petitions filed by the government and by LGBTQ groups and their supporters. Its as expected, but still disappointing.

g_b still waiting...

2013-12-10 Thread Vikram D
I'm typing this just after noon on Monday and I am getting many calls from people asking me when the Supreme Court verdict is due. Some of them tell they have heard from other people who say that the verdict will definitely be tomorrow (Tuesday) while others says they have heard it will

g_b And its on

2013-12-10 Thread Vikram D
Listed for tomorrow. Say your prayers (if you believe) tonight.

g_b from Times of India: What straight men can learn from gay men

2013-12-10 Thread Vikram D
Here's a link to an article I did in Sunday Times of India that tries to get straight men to look at the world from a gay viewpoint for a moment... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/stoi/deep-focus/What-straight-men-can-learn-from-gays/articleshow/27054410.cms What straight men can learn

g_b stasis

2013-12-10 Thread Vikram D
Just received word. They've sent it to Parliament, where it will probably remain indefinitely. DIsappointing, though not the worst outcome.

g_b ...and one more day

2013-12-10 Thread Vikram D
Supreme Court cause lists out and we are not listed for tomorrow. That means Wednesday or never. The judge iss actually hearing a case involving the Indian Body Building and Fitness Federation and not us! Couldn't he at least have clubbed us with them?! Vikram

g_b And as we wait... the largest state

2013-12-05 Thread Vikram D
And as we wait for the SC verdict, what better way to divert ourselves than this fascinating study on which US states are the largest... on a parameter of some interest for these lists. http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/12/03/which-state-is-the-biggest/ I know one Indian gay guy who was in North

g_b sexual harassment and same sex attractions

2013-12-03 Thread Vikram D
So, unless everyone on these lists is totally tuned off news and only to things like Tom Daley's coming out as bisexual (yay!) we can't have escaped getting involved in the many debates thrown up by the Tehelka case. I don't particularly want to get into the actual Tehelka case here, but more

g_b from newyorker.com : What Young Gay Men Don’t Know About AIDS

2013-12-03 Thread Vikram D
An excellent piece from Michael Specter that is also worth reading for the comments at the end that carry on the discussion in very honest and illuminating ways. Also worth reading is the NYT piece that prompted Specter's piece. Here are the links:

g_b Supreme Court countdown

2013-12-03 Thread Vikram D
Many people are asking when theSupreme Court will be delivering its verdict in the Naz India case. And the judgment is clearly nea, since Justice Singhvi who, we are assuming is writing it, retires in the middle of next week. Tomorrow is a court holiday for the Delhi elections, and the case

g_b Singapore High Court upholds anti-sodomy law

2013-10-08 Thread Vikram D
Depressing news from Singapore where they have been trying to get the judiciary to strike down their anti sodomy law, which is almost the same as India's, also inherited from the British, but called Section 377a. But the High Court judge there declined to do so, saying it was something that

g_b GB Film Club Screening on Sunday 13th October at National College, Bandra

2013-10-08 Thread Vikram D
  GB announces the latest in its always super popular series of free film screenings – and seriously SUPER popular, at the last screening we had not only every seat in the around 100 seater auditorium full, but every step and bit of floor space taken up. So make sure you come early to get a place

g_b Mumbai Police - Prithviraj plays gay

2013-08-01 Thread Vikram D
Has anyone seen this Malayalam film Mumbai Police where the actor Prithviraj is one of the policemen of the title and also plays gay? Yes, you read that right, this is the same ridiculously hunky Prithvirajwho was the lust object in the film Aiyyaa (written and directed, as it happens, by an

g_b from Sunday Times of India - Manil Suri on same sex marriage

2013-07-02 Thread Vikram D
Manil Suri and I had companion pieces in today's Sunday Times of India's Special Report on the US Supreme Court decision on same sex marriage and also on what an amazing - but in a few places depressing - couple of months it has been for lgbt rights and what, hopefully, the Indian Supreme Court

g_b from Sunday Times of India - an amazing few months

2013-07-02 Thread Vikram D
My piece in today's Sunday Times of India's Special Report on same sex marriage, lgbt rights and what we hope the Indian Supreme Court might take from the last few months: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/stoi/special-report/Same-sex-same-rights/articleshow/20839555.cms Printed from

g_b And its a win... hope Indian SC is listening

2013-06-28 Thread Vikram D
The two decisions that the US Supreme Court has handed down today are complex and nuanced and are almost definitely likely to lead to a lot more litigation, but at their most basic they count as a win for lgbt rights. The key win was in the Defence of Marriage case where, essentially, the

g_b pictures of a couple...

2013-06-15 Thread Vikram D
And, as it happens, a straight couple. Yet its not without resonance for lgbt mailing lists as this link, and the piece following after which I wrote for the Times some years back (and probably posted here before) explains:

g_b the woman who broke the news of Everest

2013-06-11 Thread Vikram D
There have been plenty of stories in the media to mark the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Mt.Everest. And quite a few have noted that the only (British) survivor is Jan Morris, the celebrated travel writer and journalist, who was the Times of London's 'embedded' reporter. Most other

g_b Maurice Sendak

2013-06-11 Thread Vikram D
I don't know if people are getting this Google Doodle on their computers - I don't seem to be getting it on mine here in Mumbai. But its worth checking out since its one of the most elaborate and beautifully executed Google Doodles I have ever seen, and it happens to be for the birthday of a

g_b A Letter to Angelina Jolie by an Indian Transman

2013-06-03 Thread Vikram D
Ramki has posted links to the story on the problems Indian transmen face when they want to get their breasts removed - in contrast to the relative ease with which Angelina Jolie seems to have had her double mastectomies done. This is not to diminish her decision or the reasons she did it, but

g_b Asghar Ali Engineer

2013-05-15 Thread Vikram D
Asghar Ali Engineer, who has just passed away in Mumbai, has been much lauded for his efforts in trying to promote progressive Muslim viewpoints and ensure interfaith dialogues on a number of issues. And this included attitudes towards homosexuality when, after the Delhi High Court gave its

g_b the diva and the chocolate bar

2013-05-07 Thread Vikram D
OK, this isn't gay, but it does involve a gay icon. Here is Rekha (and Urmila) pitching for Snickers chocolate bar. Is it offensive to women? Is there a gender bending angle that is rather camp? Is it just brilliant use of Rekha's difficult diva image? Is it so over the top its really cool? 

g_b France passes same sex marriage

2013-04-25 Thread Vikram D
France passed same sex marriage yesterday. This has been one of the most puzzling and contentious votes, which no one was expecting. French friends of mine have been totally shocked at the level of protest and violence that has come out against the bill, even though polls show the majority

g_b prohibiting porn

2013-04-23 Thread Vikram D
This is not specifically lgbt related, but I thought this piece I had done might be of interest to people because it is a question we often get asked during GB meets devoted to legal issues: people want to know if it it illegal to possess pornography? Many queer people have faced problems

g_b an equal music

2013-04-18 Thread Vikram D
Last mail on the New Zealand same sex marriage vote, I promise, but I had to post this. As more and more countries pass lgbt rights bills there are more and more videos of the news when the vote passes or the result is announced and everyone breaks out cheering and dancing. There was one from

g_b total timepass...

2013-04-17 Thread Vikram D
...for no other reason than that its cute and charming and why do we need excuses to post pix of two hot guys kissing anyway. What is a bit odd is that both these guys, who are British actors, are I think straight and they are both at the launch of a film they acted in where they were best

g_b NZ passes same sex marriage - and Chris Auchinvole's speech

2013-04-17 Thread Vikram D
The Parliament of New Zealand has just passed the same sex marriage bill - and not just passed it, but passed it by a huge margin of 77 to 44. It now just needs to formality of Royal Assent to become law and for marriages to start. So for all the guys here who have looked at those sexy NZ

g_b from Slate: An Italian gay boy's ABC...

2013-04-11 Thread Vikram D
A really beautifully written piece where a gay Italian boy talks about his family, food and coming out through constructing a ABC. What sort of ABCs could people here write? The link, and some of the letters:

g_b 100 Trans Americans

2013-04-11 Thread Vikram D
An excellent list to get the same week when one of my closest friends from Mumbai got his green card. He started transitioning from female to male a couple of years back and got married last year to his partner of five years in San Francisco (totally legal, since she's a woman and by then he

g_b The Fastrack out of the closet

2013-04-11 Thread Vikram D
This ad from Fastrack watches has just released. The support is admirable, I guess, but it would have been nice if the women seemed less likely to have been selected from the point of view of titillating straight men. What do people think? : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmk9D53G6F8

g_b GB film screening films for Sunday 17th March

2013-03-17 Thread Vikram D
Here are the details for the films to be screened at the GB Film Screening tomorrow. Brief descriptions, plus some links if you want to get more information. As always, the film screenings will be at National College in Bandra. If you're coming for the first time, just get off at Bandra

g_b from Slate.com: the limits of BDSM acceptance

2013-03-06 Thread Vikram D
William Saletan on Slate.com, always a thoughtful writer and one willing to pick at easy positions, has posted this interesting piece on why sexual preferences like Bondage and SM will always remain subcultures and not becoming mainstream in the way that being gay or lesbian is becoming

g_b Justice Verma Committee comes out for sexual minorities

2013-01-24 Thread Vikram D
The Justice Verma Committee, consisting of ex Chief Justice of India J.S.Verma, retired Justice Leela Seth (first woman chief justice of a High Court) and retired Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam has just submitted its report in the case of the horrific gang rape and murder in Delhi. It has

g_b Richard Blanco at Obama's inauguration

2013-01-22 Thread Vikram D
President Obama's second inaugural speech immediately caught the attention for its open acknowledgement of lgbt people and their struggles. His use of the words Seneca Falls, Selma, Stonewall was just brilliant for their alliterative rhythm and the way they acknowledge three immense civil

g_b Happy New Year... and let's hope it is!

2013-01-01 Thread Vikram D
Happy New Year to all on these lists...and lets hope it is! Because one thing we know for sure, the Supreme Court will have to give some sort of verdict or ruling in the 377 case. Justice Singhvi, the senior judge on the bench that heard the case will retire in mid December, 2013 so something

g_b How to turn loss into victory

2012-11-07 Thread Vikram D
This excellent piece from Slate.com shows how lgbt activists and supporters in the US managed to turn around a long losing streak on gay marriage with today's hands down win. It comes down to making human connections with people, talking about common human issues rather than just demanding

g_b from the New Yorker: Alan Ross on the gay movement

2012-11-07 Thread Vikram D
Alex Ross is the New Yorker's music critic and a wonderful writer. If you have any interest in Western classical music - or even if you have not much interest, but like good writing - you should read his history of 20th century Western classical music, The Rest is Noise. Ross is also openly

g_b a great night to be gay in the USA!

2012-11-07 Thread Vikram D
It isn't just the Obama re-election, which most LGBT people are likely to have supported, other than the Staunchly Selfish Queens (hey, there Jimmyji!) But its also the slew of other victories across the country in all kinds of other races: - Tammy Baldwin won the US Senate seat from

g_b Rishi Kapoor (sort of) admits to the sexuality of his SOTY role

2012-10-17 Thread Vikram D
With Student of the Year FINALLY about to hit the screens, Karan Johar take on sexuality - including his own sexuality - comes up again in this interview with Rishi Kapoor who, its been widely reported, plays the principal of the school who has feelings for the male PT instructor. Read the

g_b GB Film Club Screening on Sunday 14 October

2012-10-11 Thread Vikram D
This coming Sunday (14/10) GB presents its latest Film Club screening. And this is one of the best packages we've ever had. Usually the films which we mostly get from friends abroad have a mix of strong and weak ones, but this time I think they're all really good. They are also all feature

g_b informing non-relatives for operations

2012-10-09 Thread Vikram D
A friend of mine recently had to have a minor surgical procedure done for which he had gone to a surgeon in one of Mumbai's leading hospitals. My friend is HIV+ which, of course, was known to the specialist who had no problem doing the procedure. This surgeon said the procedure would require

g_b GB Film Club Screening this Sunday, October 14

2012-10-09 Thread Vikram D
This coming Sunday (14/10) GB presents its latest Film Club screening. As the many people who are regulars at these screenings know I have a bad tendency to keep pushing the final selection of films till almost the day before. I thought this time I wouldn't do that, but a friend is coming

g_b E-V and KLPD

2012-10-07 Thread Vikram D
I haven't seen either of this week's Bollywood releases, but I'm betting there were several here who have and may even have been in line for first-day-first-show for English-Vinglish and who can blame them (on the other hand, if someone here was doing first-day-first-show for KLPD they may not

g_b Bangalore transgender invited for CJI swearing in

2012-09-28 Thread Vikram D
Congratulations to Akkai for getting this honour. I hope the judges who are deciding the 377 case take note! As it happens, in addition to all her other excellent work, Akkai helped recruit the mothers of two Bangalore based transgenders to sign the parents petition that we filed in the Supreme

g_b He-Man nostalgia

2012-08-05 Thread Vikram D
This column by Jai Arjun Singh should draw up some memories, even if we didn't collect the He-Man dolls. But how many of us had a crush on him? Or did you go for Skeletor instead? Or that hunky captain? http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/he-man-nostalgia/480332/

g_b Olympic bodies

2012-08-05 Thread Vikram D
I'm guessing that even the least sporting inclined among us here is watching the Olympics, even if India is crashing out almost completely. The reason of course is - Hot Bodies! In Skin-tight Lycra Singlets, or even less. I mean, did you see the Tom Daley photos? Since he's Brit at a Brit

g_b film screening feedback

2012-07-31 Thread Vikram D
Someone who wasn't able to attend the last GB Film Club Screening asked me how it went off so I'm happy to be able to post this glowing review from someone who was there (thanks to Dee for posting it to me from FB). So for those of you who want to come for a film screening, but aren't too sure

g_b Operation Homex

2012-07-19 Thread Vikram D
A link to a long piece from Slate.com, but very well worth reading because it will strike many resonances with people here. The piece is about the exposure in the early 1960s of a massive organised criminal racket, involving crooked police officers (or criminals pretending to be them) in the US

g_b GB Film Club screening next Sunday July 22

2012-07-19 Thread Vikram D
The formal mail will follow, but here's a quick heads up for all the many fans of GB's Film Club Screenings. Next Sunday, July 22, we'll be having one at our usual venue at National College in Bandra, from 1.30-8 pm. I will try and post the list of films by tomorrow, but I can confirm that one

g_b Nights in the Gardens of Spain at GB Film Club screening this Sunday

2012-07-19 Thread Vikram D
Apologies, I had hoped to finalise the films for this coming Sunday's GB Film Screenings, but just yesterday a friend gave me some very new and little seen films for the screening, and I'm still working my way through them. But one which I saw is definite or the first film because. while in

g_b HT and ToI op/ed pieces for the Naz India anniversary

2012-07-06 Thread Vikram D
The Hindustan Times and Times of India both featured pieces on the Naz India case as lead op/ed pieces to mark the 3rd anniversary this week. The HT piece is by Gautam Bhan, the ToI piece by me. I specifically link the archaic nature of 377 to the archaic laws that ACP Dhoble is digging  as

g_b are Indian parents really Mormons?

2012-06-20 Thread Vikram D
This article from Slate about evolving - or maybe evolving - attitudes towards homosexuality in the Mormon Church may require some suspension of disbelief while reading it, but its worth doing because I kept finding behavioural parallels with some of the attitudes of Mormons and many Indian

g_b party permits

2012-05-23 Thread Vikram D
This report from the Times of India about the fall out from the rave party in Juhu today confirms what GB has been saying for a long time now, which is that if you are going regularly to parties it is best to get a permit.   For those who don't know what this is, its a rather absurd document

g_b report + query from GB special cancer meet

2012-05-16 Thread Vikram D
The GB Special Meet on Cancer Awareness combined with HepB inoculations went off very well. I'll try and post a longer email with the specific details that Dr.Prasad spoke about, but this is just to give some idea of what it was like and raise one of the points that he made.  This was a new

g_b asking the right question

2012-05-08 Thread Vikram D
Here's a truly inspiring and moving speech to listen to, even if you don't know much or don't care about the issue that's causing it - a move in the state of North Carolina to pass a referendum that would ban recognition of any kind of relationship other than that of a heterosexual couple.    

g_b homophobia in medicine

2012-04-28 Thread Vikram D
There are several doctors on this list who might find this gay doctor's description of the prejudices he's encountered in his profession familiar and depressing reading:   http://www.towleroad.com/2012/04/a-brief-examination-of-homophobia-in-medicine.html

g_b Thanking Anjali - at Orinam.net

2012-04-25 Thread Vikram D
The Orinam website has been kind enough to post my mail about Anjali Gopalan on their website. There's space for comments below, and it would be nice if people could consider using this to thank Anjali directly or if they have any memories of dealing with her during all these years, to post a

g_b community closets

2012-04-25 Thread Vikram D
This piece, written by a guy who has quit a world of extreme orthodox Judaism, is not really gay related (well, almost, there's one rather staggering bit about male on male oral sex). It is about his interactions with guys who are still stuck in that world, even though they want more than what

g_b TJ and Amal

2012-04-21 Thread Vikram D
After first round of comic geekery with Archie and Alison Bechdel, here's round two with an online gay comic strip I recently discovered - do others know of it?   Please be warned, if you are at all inclined towards comic geekery, then only click on the link below if you are willing to waste

g_b Archie and Alison

2012-04-19 Thread Vikram D
For the gay comic geeks on these lists - I can't be the only one around.   First, there's a wonderful bit of news. Alison Bechdel's new graphic novel is out in May. For anyone who's read and loved her Dykes to Watch Out For series, and then read Fun Home, her truly remarkable graphic novel

g_b thanking Anjali

2012-04-19 Thread Vikram D
It is absolutely fantastic to see Anjali Gopalan on this year's Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list!     A lot of people will be going 'who?' and a lot of people in Bengal will be going 'huh? she scores higher than Didi?' (Lets just hope that the Trinamul doesn't throw a tantrum

g_b need for testing

2012-04-07 Thread Vikram D
Guys, this is a general message I am putting out after encountering a couple of cases in the last few months of gay or bi guys who have tested positive in circumstances when they were not expecting it.     In both cases, not being prepared for this has greatly complicated the ways in which

g_b uplifting!

2012-04-05 Thread Vikram D
A wonderful clip - this is what Youtube exists for! It shows a long term gay couple who aren't afraid to show the depth of their love for each other by dancing on TV, in front of one of Britain's top shows. If this link doesn't work, just google Youtube and Sugar Dandies - you won't regret it:

g_b how one mother changed

2012-04-05 Thread Vikram D
In the run-up to the GB Parents Meet later this month, here's a story worth reading about how one mother confronted her deepest prejudices and changed when her son came out to her:   http://www.danoah.com/2012/04/a-teens-brave-response-to-im-christian-unless-youre-gay.html   (Perhaps I shouldn't

g_b Supreme Court reserves its judgment

2012-03-28 Thread Vikram D
Finally this Tuesday morning, around 12.30, the Supreme Court hearings in the 377 case came to an end.  After the arguments from our side wound up last week the procedure is that the opposing parties, who are the petitioners in this case (since it is an appeal against the Delhi High Court

g_b from ET: The Supreme Court meets Section 377

2012-03-24 Thread Vikram D
My article from ET today on the Supreme Court hearing the 377 case. No new information for people on these lists, but a sense of what being in the SC is like. This is from the main paper, and it should be up on my ET blog soon: 

g_b Attorney-General says government supports Naz verdict!

2012-03-21 Thread Vikram D
FINALLY!   I heard this from the Court about an hour back and this Times report now confirms it. The Attorney-General Ghoolam Vahanvati has finally confirmed that the government of India has no objections to the Delhi High Court verdict:  

g_b GoI supports Naz verdict - update

2012-03-21 Thread Vikram D
Nothing very much more to add at the moment. Its been evident for a while that the GoI is OK with the Naz India verdict, but didn't want to have to say this openly. But ironically it looks like its hand was forced by ASG Malhotra during these hearings when he got up and repeated all the stuff

g_b clarification - 377 verdict is still distant and uncertain

2012-03-21 Thread Vikram D
Some of the mails and messages I've been getting in response to the news that the GoI is supporting the Naz verdict seem to suggest that people imagine we have won in the Supreme Court.   I wish it was that simple.   The GoI's support is important and a bit of a breakthrough, but it certainly

g_b the last three days in Court

2012-03-16 Thread Vikram D
Apologies for not posting reports about the last three days hearings on the 377 case in the Supreme Court. (The case is heard on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). Ironically this is because, for the first time, I've been in court myself, rather than receiving reports from others who have been in

g_b Lawrence, Khairati and the relevance of real lives

2012-03-08 Thread Vikram D
With the Supreme Court hearing the 377 case there has been a lot of talk, in the Court, and outside as well, about Lawrence vs.Texas, the case that decriminalised consensual same sex relations between adults in the US. We are now where Lawrence was when it was being argued, and the question is

g_b Supreme Court hearings for Naz case on Tuesday 28/2/2012

2012-03-05 Thread Vikram D
As I had posted earlier last week I was not able to post reports on the proceedings partly because I was out of town and partly because once it became clear that the judges were speeding up the case and our opponents would soon have finished speaking, most of the people on our side became

g_b apologies and (partial) update

2012-03-01 Thread Vikram D
First, apologies to everyone for not being able to post updates on the 377 case this week. The reasons are both personal and general and I'll do my best to rectify them. For the record, the case was heard over Tuesday (28/2), Wednesday (29/2) and Thursday (1/3) and now is on hold for 10 days

g_b The Bowers vs Hardwick moment

2012-02-24 Thread Vikram D
In yesterday's arguments in court the one really interesting, perhaps loaded moment was a brief exchange between the Bench and assistant solicitor-general PP Malhotra, who was in the midst of his attack on the Naz decision, acting on his quite misguided assumption that this was the Ministry of

g_b likely misreporting of SC proceedings.

2012-02-23 Thread Vikram D
Please could everyone note urgently that there seems to be a lot of confusion flowing from what is happening in court today. Several channels are carrying reports that the Ministry of Home Affairs has opposed the Delhi High Court verdict and has asked for the continued criminalisation of

g_b from 2008: PM's statement on homosexuals

2012-02-23 Thread Vikram D
Since there seems to be a lot of confusion emanating from Delhi on the government's views on the 377 case, I thought it might be useful to post this report about an event where the PM clearly stated the need to support groups like homosexuals against social prejudice.   This was from 2008, the

g_b Day 4 report... will take some time

2012-02-22 Thread Vikram D
This is just a quick mail to note that today was Day 4 of the 377 case hearings in the Supreme Court and quite a lot of time, around four hours, was given to the case. The counsel for the Delhi Commission on Child Welfare continued to speak right through, and the Bench posed a lot of questions

g_b It happened one night

2011-10-04 Thread Vikram D
This account of the Oshiwara party raid has been forwarded to me with the suggestion I post it on the mailing lists. It is very well written and moving, while also giving tips on what not to do - this guy's attempt to run away was perhaps natural, but also rather dumb and he was lucky not to

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