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Is Queerness Natural or a State of Mind?
A street painted with the queer pride stripes of colour
Is Queerness Natural or a State of Mind?

My sexuality is not a testing ground for them to bet on.

By Writika Manocha
May 18, 2026
Is Queerness Natural or a State of Mind?
Jingle Jangle, There’s a Queer Bangle!
A spread from a children's book. A little boy is elated wearing bangles that he wanted
Jingle Jangle, There’s a Queer Bangle!

Recognition without hiding
By Riya Parikh
May 18, 2026
Jingle Jangle, There’s a Queer Bangle!
This Self? Or That One?
A black and white collage of a woman in different motions
This Self? Or That One?

Self is you in a state of becoming at all times…
By Shikha Aleya
April 15, 2026
This Self? Or That One?
Like Telling a Caged Bird to Soar Higher
An illustration of a woman sitting under a tree, a cat walking towards her, and another character sitting below a tree at the background
Like Telling a Caged Bird to Soar Higher

Change those worlds, and sexuality stops echoing limits.
By Ratnaboli Ray
April 15, 2026
Like Telling a Caged Bird to Soar Higher
When Staying Is Not a Choice
Light streaks on a black wall that says "Stay Home"
When Staying Is Not a Choice

My gender, I have been told, can wait.
By Vihaan
April 15, 2026
When Staying Is Not a Choice
An Arrangement of Attention
A still from the film Portrait of a lady on Fire (2019) by Celine Sciamma
An Arrangement of Attention

All those years of careful looking away.
By Taarina Therese Chandiramani
April 15, 2026
An Arrangement of Attention
The Beaming Waves We Once Were
Yellow light waves against a black background, evoking flowing energy and connection
The Beaming Waves We Once Were

Why do I love you?

By Abdullah Erikat
April 15, 2026
The Beaming Waves We Once Were
Editorial – Digital Intimacies and Sexuality
an illustration of a hand holding a phone with text exchanges of love
Editorial – Digital Intimacies and Sexuality

We humans are sometimes able to squeeze kindness out of a stone. And love out of nowhere.
By TARSHI
March 17, 2026
Editorial – Digital Intimacies and Sexuality
The Illusion of Connection and Choice in the Digital World
Electrical outlet with a heart-shaped plug
The Illusion of Connection and Choice in the Digital World

People are becoming lonelier, and their desire for connection, stronger.
By Aratrika Datta
February 17, 2026
The Illusion of Connection and Choice in the Digital World
Digital Intimacies, Gendered Exposure, and the Violence of Virality
a person holding a cell phone
Digital Intimacies, Gendered Exposure, and the Violence of Virality

Intimacy – whether sexual, emotional, or relational – cannot be treated as raw material for consumption without consequence
By Daraa Patel
February 17, 2026
Digital Intimacies, Gendered Exposure, and the Violence of Virality
The Soft ‘Bloop’ of Discord
Close-up of a black keyboard with blue keys
The Soft ‘Bloop’ of Discord

Here, intimacy arrives without spectacle…
By Chitrangi Kakoti
February 17, 2026
The Soft ‘Bloop’ of Discord
Dasain of Lovers
light streams and fog in a forest clearing
Dasain of Lovers

Couple haru ko dasain is here –
the festival of lovers.
By Lungmying Lepcha
February 17, 2026
Dasain of Lovers
Streaming a Utopia
a blue heart shaped object on a black background
Streaming a Utopia

The heart finds warmth in glowing screens
By Shruti Sharma
February 17, 2026
Streaming a Utopia
Editorial – Anthology Jan 2026
a branched-out tree under a blue sky
Editorial – Anthology Jan 2026

To remind us of what spaces that are safe, inclusive and self-affirming for each person could look like, we have curated a selection of articles from the last five years of In Plainspeak for this anthology – our gift to wish you a wonderful 2026.

By TARSHI
January 16, 2026
Editorial – Anthology Jan 2026
On Learning and Becoming: “To Whom Do I Owe the Woman I Have Become?”
On Learning and Becoming: “To Whom Do I Owe the Woman I Have Become?”

We become women before we become a woman. Of course, we don’t need to try hard to do so…We learn the sides and folds of the gendered box we are in before we gain the perspective to decide we don’t fit in and build a customised box or choose to have no box at all.

By Anjali
January 16, 2026
On Learning and Becoming: “To Whom Do I Owe the Woman I Have Become?”
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