Being lesbian in India
November 18th, 2008
While a dumb movie seems* to suggest that it’s ok to pretend to be gay and get the girl you love based on false premises, reality isn’t quite so entertaining. An article here on the tremendous challenges that lesbians in India face, including forced marriages, forced sex with men, and often, plain dismissal that their desires are valid or even that they exist.
* ’seems’ because I haven’t watched it, but reviews like this one are good enough to put me off Dostana.
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Ha, we must be on the same wavelength because something similar was running through my mind today.
Well said, apu. The last time I saw a film on Indian lesbians was Fire and that didn’t do very well with the masses, did it?
I long for an Indian movie portraying non-man-hating, non-psychopathic, non-sex-starved lesbians which is actually released in India. There have been Indian movies with a central lesbian plot but they are reduced to release in the USA and UK. Movies like A World Unseen, Nina’s Heavenly Delights and I Can’t Think Straight never came to Indian cinemas despite being made by Indian directors and having an Indian cast.
Fire was a ground breaking movie, granted, but the characters Radha and Sita entered into a relationship only out of dissatisfaction from their respective heterosexual marriages.
And don’t even get me started on that trashy piece of sleaze called Girlfriend.
Life as a teenage lesbian hasn’t been very bad for me till now. But I’m only sixteen and still mostly closeted. I’m only out to a few friends and I think my younger sister might have guessed. But right now, all I’m worried about is that nobody at my school should find out about my blog because if they did, they’ll recognize who I am and my secret will be out. And I’ll be, well, screwed — big time.
I guess I’ll have to be content with watching LGBT American indie movies and TV shows until India progresses enough to recognize the existence of lesbians.
But being a lone Indian lesbian blogger really gets to me sometimes. It’s like we really are very, very invisible.
Amrita, SS, It’s nice to see likeminded people.
Firebolt, I can’t even imagine how difficult it is for you, and how much more difficult it is going to get, as you grow older, and need to come out more openly. Read your blog, and really admire your honesty and courage.
Well, even American TV and films depictions of lesbians aren’t that great (read: true to life).
Apu: oh yes, I didn’t mean to imply that; however, I would still say, Indian cinema is about 10 steps behind, just as Indian society is, in this aspect.
Hello. And Bye.
very intresting
I think that it’s not that much different in Singapore. I’m an indian lesbian in Singapore. And I’m practically open to everyone except my ow family because of the mindset.
I guess in Singapore, you do have a lot more options though.