A digital magazine on sexuality in the Global South: We are working towards cultivating safe, inclusive, and self-affirming spaces in which all individuals can express themselves without fear, judgement or shame

Author: Jasmine George

a bunch of women stand defiantly

हँसे या न हँसे?

"अगर आप उसपर हँस सकते हैं तो सब कुछ मज़ाकिया है।" - लुईस कैरोल लुईस कैरोल को अधिकार-आधारित परिप्रेक्ष्य वाला माना जा सकता है क्योंकि वह हर किसी की हँसने की ताकत (एजेंसी) की पुष्टि करते हैं। लेकिन, हर किसी को हर बात मज़ाकिया नहीं लगती है, और ये हमें मानहानि के दावों की बढ़ती…
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A group of girls wearing knee-length white dhotis, shirts, and goggles, with their hair tied back. "Women in jeans against indian culture - KJ Yesudas" is written opposite the photo. On the bottom is written "challenge accepted".

To Laugh Or Not to Laugh

“Everything is funny, if you can laugh at it.” – Lewis Carroll Lewis Carroll can be said to have a rights-based perspective as he affirms everyone’s agency to laugh. But not everyone finds everything funny, clearly witnessed by the rising number of defamation suits, speech curtailing legislations, and various groups objecting to the stereotypes that…
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Black and white photo of two young women speaking on a stage, reading out from the sheets of paper in their hands. One wears a saree, and has curly hair left open. The other wears a top, and has her hair open falling till her chest. She holds a rectangle-shaped structure in front of her face through which she sees across.

On Realising a Young Feminist Dream

One gets introduced to feminism through various modes: through books, through university courses, through parents and sometimes one does not realize one is a feminist, but still lives the life of a feminist. [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix=""]Feminism is for all and tends to surprise anyone who comes under her fold.[/inlinetweet] I am a feminist and…
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Poster of the film "Memoirs of Geisha". It focuses on face of a fair South Asian woman with straight hair, blue eyes, wearing red lipstick.

Reel Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

The Hollywood rendition of the Geisha world, with Edward Said’s Orientalism [1] thrown in, reminds us of a simple fact: things that are unknown to us, will always be misunderstood/mis-interpreted/mistranslated into our language. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) gives us a bird’s eye view of the Geisha culture and a limited interpretation of ‘sexuality’ [2] (a…
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A still from the film 'Queen' showing actress Kangana Ranaut browsing various sex toys in a sex shop.

Sex Toys and Law – The Unexplored Opportunity

 Sex toys are an exception to the basic understanding of toys. First of all, these toys are generally used by the adult population. Some people use them for spicing up their sexual lives, and some people find them entertaining. For persons looking for varieties of sexual expression, these can be useful as well as fulfilling.…
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Interview : Arvind Narrain

JG: As a founder member of The Alternative Law Forum (ALF) you have engaged with conventional law and at the same time looked for spaces which are beyond the law. Do tell us a little bit about how ALF came about and how it has evolved over the years. Arvind Narain (AN): ALF was started…
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Picture of Maya Krishna Rao, seated in a couch with a cushion beside her. She has white hair and rimless glasses, her hands are spread out, almost like she is in the middle of explaining something.

Interview: Maya Rao

In February 2014, Jasmine George from TARSHI interviewed Maya Rao, a performing artist and a professor currently teaching in Shiv Nadar University, for the March issue of the blog. During our interaction with her, she shared with us her journey as a performing artist and her experiences with young people addressing issues related to gender and sexuality.…
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Rituparna Borah

Interview: Rituparna Borah

Rituparna Borah, a queer feminist activist, and a member of Nirantar, Centre for Gender and Education, India sat down with Jasmine George of TARSHI for a freewheeling discussion, the day after the Supreme Court of India set-aside the High Court Judgment of 2009 and declared Section 377 IPC as constitutionally valid. Excerpts: J: We would like to…
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In Plainspeak English Audit In Plainspeak English Audit 100% 10 A photo of queer feminist activist Rudrani Chhetri. Her hair is tied up in a bun, and she is wearing a simple patterned top and jacket. She is also wearing gold earrings and a golden locket. Screen reader support enabled. A photo of queer feminist activist Rudrani Chhetri. Her hair is tied up in a bun, and she is wearing a simple patterned top and jacket. She is also wearing gold earrings and a golden locket.

Voices: Interview With Rudrani Chettri

On December 13, 2013 - Jasmine George  from TARSHI interviewed Rudrani Chettri, Director of Mitr Trust, a Community Based Organization (CBO) in New Delhi, India. Rudrani talked about her reaction to the Supreme Court's judgement on Section 377 as well as her work as the director of Mitr Trust. She also talked about the Hijra community…
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In Plainspeak English Audit In Plainspeak English Audit 100% 10 A photo of queer feminist activist Rudrani Chhetri. Her hair is tied up in a bun, and she is wearing a simple patterned top and jacket. She is also wearing gold earrings and a golden locket. Screen reader support enabled. A photo of queer feminist activist Rudrani Chhetri. Her hair is tied up in a bun, and she is wearing a simple patterned top and jacket. She is also wearing gold earrings and a golden locket.

Voices: Interview With Rudrani Chettri

Published on January 1, 2014
silhouette of a woman standing alone in a valley

‘हामी भरने’ या ‘मना करने’ का मेरा अधिकार

Published on March 5, 2019
poster for the 16 days of activism campaign

Why We Still Need Campaigns Like The 16 Days of Activism

Published on December 2, 2019
A person with short dark hair and silver earrings holds a sign that says "Sexual Rights To Me Means Control Over My Own Body". The photo is in black and white.

What Do Sexual Rights Mean To You?

Published on December 1, 2013
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