Author: Mukesh

Black and white picture of a child covering their face

Poem: Age 7

·February 1, 2014
·Mukesh

tender lips that had forgotten, momentarily, the taste of mother’s milk and couldn’t tell the silence of the womb from the darkness of sins knelt, panting, to sooth with their tender warmth the spineless erection of an old man. to believe that the sweat, stink and grime were not its own the tender body washed…

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In Plainspeak publishes two issues with a theme every month.
A cross-cutting theme across all forthcoming issues in 2021 is how we can expand safe, inclusive sexuality-affirming spaces.

THIS ISSUE:

April 2021
Vulnerability and Sexuality, II Issue – April 19, 2021
Vulnerability is often associated with the threat of emotional or physical hurt, disease (amplified now in a COVID-19 affected world) and violence. Where, with whom, and in what circumstances we feel safe, affects not only our interpersonal relationships and the spaces and services we access but also our relationship with ourselves. However, is the goal of identifying vulnerability simply safety? And, does the search for safety limit or free us in living fully and authentically? While exploring ourselves and the world, we open ourselves up to new and different experiences, places, and people. On the one hand, we may find ourselves rendered vulnerable while engaging with someone sexually and/or romantically, moving cities, travelling alone, or even while dealing with personal adversity. On the other, intentionally allowing ourselves to be vulnerable may be an act of asserting agency in the choices we make and the boundaries we establish or consciously yield around our self-expression, sexuality, bodily integrity, and relationships. The April issue of In Plainspeak attempts to explore vulnerability and sexuality and its interaction with age, caste, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and socio-economic location.

May – Data and Sexuality
As technological advancements narrow the gap between our online and offline lives, our everyday actions become sources of data. From biometrics, facial recognition software, and CCTV cameras to our health and financial records, location, and search histories – avenues for collecting data as well as utilising this data are endless. Although presented as error-free, neutral and objective, the data collected (and about whom) are influenced by context. And because our world is constructed upon inequalities, data might enhance the lives of some and push already marginalised identities and communities further away. With regard to sexuality, questions around privacy, consent, anonymity, surveillance, and other such issues, arise. And, if we express and experience sexuality outside of the norm, are we rendered more vulnerable to being targeted, surveilled, and regulated? In Plainspeak’s May issue questions the reach and impact of data on our sexual and reproductive wellbeing and rights, and attempts to imagine a more consent-based and equal digital future.

June – Representation and Sexuality
Drawing from the oft-discussed conundrum ‘If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?’ we ask: How might we be truly and meaningfully seen and heard, especially if we do not find accurate or adequate representation in mainstream discourse? Representation is a broad term – it might mean political legitimacy of our gender identity and sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion and so on, inclusivity in decision-making processes, highlighting narratives of identities and communities which are marginalised, and portraying sexuality openly and authentically. Our lived experience as well as what we are told by way of religious and/or moral tenets, popular culture, and even advertising, shape the way we look at and interact with our socio-cultural-political milieu. And, while representation may influence how we perceive things, we are not passive consumers of it – we can bring to it a critical eye, point to what’s missing, and if we don’t like what’s on offer we can demand or create other representations. In the June issue of In Plainspeak we explore how representation (and even misrepresentation, or none at all!) may affirm or violate our sexual rights and the assertion of our individual and collective identity.

For future issue themes, click here.

Would you like to contribute? Send an email to blogeditor@tarshi.net with your idea. Do take a look at our submission guidelines!

Author: Mukesh

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