Shikha Aleya
Interview – Coupledom is a mix of meanings
Coupledom may or may not be for everyone, and does not mean the same thing to everyone. Importantly, coupledom does not hold the same value or position in our lives, even in the lives of the individuals perceived to be parts of a couple structure.
By Shikha Aleya
February 15, 2022
Interview – Daniel Mendonca
Shikha Aleya interviews Daniel Mendonca who identifies as an intersex person and is a gender rights activist who has engaged with diverse groups of people in India and other countries, to expand awareness, build empathy and foster an environment that is accepting of diversity.
By Shikha Aleya
October 15, 2019
Interview – Deepa Pawar
If a community is suffering such severe challenges that are impacting them mentally over generations, over hundreds of years; if the ways of mentally exploiting them are so easy and accessible to all, this means that it is not they who are experiencing mental imbalance but society that is attacking their mental justice and stability.
By Shikha Aleya
September 1, 2022
Interview – Indu Harikumar
I was watching something recently that said it was a bad thing to be vulnerable, but I don’t think it is a bad thing. I do see that there is a certain amount of power in vulnerability, it also needs courage, in my experience.
By Shikha Aleya
April 5, 2021
Interview – Jasmine George
Jasmine George is a TEDx speaker, lawyer, and a sexual and reproductive health advocate from India. She is the founder of Hidden Pockets and currently curates conversations around sexuality and other fields. She is passionate about using alternative means in law and technology to explore sexuality
By Shikha Aleya
December 2, 2019
Interview – Jyotsna Siddharth
Our bodies are the vessels through which we feel, emote, work or navigate our societies and the world at large. Our bodies are the real, live archive of everything we have experienced and they have borne the consequences of our social conditioning and decisions.
By Shikha Aleya
June 16, 2023
Interview – Kallol Datta
Clothes for me are our first line of defence. They are also our first act of providing relief.
By Shikha Aleya
September 20, 2023
Interview – Kalpana Viswanath
Dr. Kalpana Viswanath, researcher, and urban safety and gender rights activist, shares her thoughts on issues of Public Safety and Sexuality with In Plainspeak. Co-founder and CEO of SafetiPin, a social enterprise that uses data and technology to build safer, more inclusive and smart cities, Kalpana has led large gender rights projects globally.
By Shikha Aleya
April 1, 2019
Interview – Kiran Bhat
So I am realising now that for me the space of borderlessness applies to everything. It applies to the physical and topographical border as it does to the borders we create between gender and their expressions. I think I would like to argue for a truly borderless understanding of the world.
By Shikha Aleya
March 17, 2023
Interview – Kiran Bhat
Kiran Bhat is an author and polyglot who speaks 12 languages, and has written in English, Kannada, Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin. His recently published book, We Of the Forsaken World, has been described as “the tales of not just sixteen strangers, but many different lives, who live on this planet, at every second, everywhere”.
By Shikha Aleya
March 2, 2020
Interview – Manak Matiyani
As we grow older, moral codes, conventions of appropriateness and shame, and the utilitarian and income-focused education we get make us lose that stability. The idea of play to me is about bringing back that ability and comfort into the lives of people so that they can actually play.
By Shikha Aleya
December 1, 2021
Interview – Manak Matiyani
Manak Matiyani, feminist and queer activist, experienced in facilitating youth leadership for social change, is the Executive Director of the…
By Shikha Aleya
July 15, 2020
Interview – Padmini Ray Murray
What we lack are digital spaces and infrastructures that are informed by the needs of their end users, that prioritise safety, comfort, joy and care.
By Shikha Aleya
November 20, 2023
Interview – Pavel Sagolsem
Pavel Sagolsem, self–described, is a storyteller, vagabond at heart and queer feminist by practice. Pavel is a founding partner of…
By Shikha Aleya
December 15, 2020
Interview – Poornima Sukumar
We advocate the idea of reclaiming spaces in society by creating large wall-mural projects to raise awareness and to create a voice for the community. We are now finding more innovative ways to engage the community to come out in public spaces, also using the Internet and social media, to feel confident, safe and a sense of belonging.
By Shikha Aleya
August 14, 2020