Vulnerability and Sexuality

Video: Friendship & Vulnerability
Poster image of the video ‘Friendship and Vulnerability’. Drawing of two people eating ice cream can be seen in the image. On the left side is written Friendship and Vulnerability in capital letters

We are often told to speak to ourselves as we would to a friend, gently and lovingly. At the heart of friendship is vulnerability – a radical acceptance of oneself and another for who we truly are, the glowing and beautiful, as well as the dark and crooked.

By Curated Content
April 5, 2021
Video: Friendship & Vulnerability
Brushstrokes: The AVR Method
A comic strip where two purple coloured figures can be seen snuggling on bed. There is a table with a laptop, two mobile phones, a slice of pizza, and a water bottle next to them. Behind the figures are two plants, a window and a bookshelf. On top left, ‘Let’s snuggle and forget the cruel world outside’ is written

From being comfortable doing nothing in someone’s company or cooking and laughing together, to confiding in them our hopes and fears, feeling safe letting someone seeing us at our best as well as through our not-so-good moments is like ‘coming home’ in the world.

By Curated Content
April 5, 2021
Brushstrokes: The AVR Method
कभी दोस्त रहे एक व्यक्ति के नाम खत 
एक टूटे हुए शीशे की तस्वीर। इस तस्वीर में शीशे के धारें दिखाई पड़ रही हैं।

अब मैं बार–बार पीछे मुड़कर देखने और अंजान आदमियों के भय से डरी रहने से भी थक चुकी हूँ। मेरे मन में हमेशा यह डर बना रहता है कि मेरी शारीरिक सीमायों का कोई उल्लंघन न कर दे और साथ ही मैं अब लोगों को अपने से दूर रखते रहने की कोशिश करते हुए भी थक चुकी हूँ।

By K F
April 5, 2021
कभी दोस्त रहे एक व्यक्ति के नाम खत 
Jessica Singh’s Poetry

SPREAD. BUT NOT READ   I feel like you walk over me, all over me, Your gait was long and…

By Jessica
April 5, 2021
Jessica Singh’s Poetry
Murderously simple thing

“She rightly read the moment while I stumbled through a second-hand text.” – Jeanette Winterson   But second-hand texts lay…

By Carol D'Souza
April 5, 2021
Murderously simple thing
Constructing Pillars
A low angle photograph of whitish coloured pillars/columns on a building

Unbiased academic                                                                  Pillars   Stand rock hard and Straight-shoot to the sky.                                                         Pillars   My teacher tells me all…

By Bhavyakirti Singh
April 5, 2021
Constructing Pillars
Circle of Trust
Poster of the Netflix series ‘The Bold Type’ Three girls can be seen standing confidently. On top of the poster, the tile ‘Bold Type is written in purple colour

None of these characters is perfect but in their imperfections we can learn more about body positivity, gender sensitivity, privilege, consent, unconscious and implicit bias, sexuality, masculinity, their intersections with class, religion, race, age, and more.

By Elsa Marie D'Silva
April 5, 2021
Circle of Trust
Claiming One’s Space After False Sexual Harassment Allegations
Image of a bronze coloured ‘Lady Justice’ statue. The statue depicts a woman standing with blindfolds and a set of scales

Those who are rendered vulnerable due to their gender or sexuality, particularly those who are economically and socially disadvantaged (or less powerful) and lack the agency to speak up for themselves, are more prone to allegations, social ostracism and marginalization.

By Andy Stephen Silveira
April 5, 2021
Claiming One’s Space After False Sexual Harassment Allegations
STAY SINGLE. STAY SAFE.
Image of mannequins with orange and pink ductapes. On one of the mannequins ‘Your body belongs to you’ is written

The largest contingent of voiceless, lonely women with limited agency in the subcontinent must be its married women. If they’re fortunate enough to be born and reach adulthood, a woman’s parents and society make sure she becomes an adult brainwashed into self-alienation and self-loathing.

By Nighat Gandhi
April 5, 2021
STAY SINGLE. STAY SAFE.
Communication: A Path to Vulnerability
A black and white photograph of two children walking on an empty road. One child’s hand is on the shoulders of the other child

We must all care for ourselves and be discerning about when and where and with whom we show our cards…but those who can hold our emotional and sexual vulnerability are out there, and we can find them and be all of who we are.

By Shilpa Sachdeva
April 5, 2021
Communication: A Path to Vulnerability
Being Comfortable in My Skin

I felt naked in front of everyone when I first came out, and I can’t stress enough how much my male privilege has helped me out here. I don’t even know if people found it serious enough to consider it my identity instead of ‘a mere sexual preference’ or ‘a phase’ (always a classic dismissal).

By Gokul KP
April 5, 2021
Being Comfortable in My Skin
Unboxing Our Darkness: Vulnerability and Transformative Justice
An image of a starry purple sky and a person flashing a white light towards the sky.

When we are in tune with our authentic thoughts and feelings, vulnerability can be a guide-post in traversing through life, allowing us to forge deep and meaningful connections where we can hold space to mess up and get back on our feet again.

By Anjali
April 5, 2021
Unboxing Our Darkness: Vulnerability and Transformative Justice
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 – Indu Harikumar
Why Don’t Indian Families Say “I Love You”?
A drawing of four people in a red background. Behind them are drawings of buildings and clouds. The four faces have different expressions on them- two can be seen smiling, the third person has a neutral expression and the fourth person has a sad expression. Three hearts are also drawn on the first, second and the fourth person.

Indian families rarely say “I love you” to each other. Maybe it is an extension of the fact that parents are awkward while displaying any sign of affection to each other around their kids or elders.

By Curated Content
April 19, 2021
Why Don’t Indian Families Say “I Love You”?
QUEERNESS AND PRIVACY[1]: BABY I LOVE IT WHEN YOU NEVER HOLD BACK FROM ME

For so long, private has meant a place that I was forced to create, claim and carve out to hide away from the public violence. And if I’ve been allowed to further wallow in it then I don’t want to – thank you very much.

By Curated Content
April 19, 2021
QUEERNESS AND PRIVACY[1]: BABY I LOVE IT WHEN YOU NEVER HOLD BACK FROM ME
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