relationships Archives • In Plainspeak

relationships

Date Name

Desc Asc

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?”

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?”

A multicolored image of a swirl in the middle of the image

Gender has perplexed me throughout life. I never quite understood femininity or masculinity much – I mostly lived in what other people thought I was. One thing I did know always is that I never, ever, want to be seen as a man. But can I still hold masculinity?

By Sudipta Das

January 16, 2026

Meanings and Meaninglessness

How would it be if we grew up embracing sexuality?

bottom half of a person in blue denim jeans and pink and white nike sneakers standing against a wall with their legs crosssed.

Growing up is a tedious task in our society because of the institutionalised practices, societal constructs and boxed identities and expressions that we are expected to adhere to. Anything beyond these implies harm, danger, and deviance.

By Sreejani

January 16, 2026

How would it be if we grew up embracing sexuality?

The novel turns the idea of masculinity on its head through the story of Brit, a boy who is as sharp as he is fragile. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, Brit’s bones break easily, but his spirit doesn’t.

By Abhigya Singh

January 16, 2026

To Exist is to Defy

A close-up photograph of a white blank paper upon which letters are scribbled. Upon the paper is a black fountain pen and some violet flowers.

‘Is the future so dark?’ you might ask. I am here to tell you that it is not. As you begin your exploration into the world of queer theory and feminist theory, you will learn that the straightjacket version of sexuality cooked by our families was undercooked.

By Chand

January 16, 2026

To My 21-Year-Old Self

He didn’t wear his identity on his sleeve, and therefore he seemed more real than most people who did.

By Taarina Therese Chandiramani

January 16, 2026

Not Quite Anything

Community Needs Care - an illustration with hands watering a flower

CSE’s ‘natural habitat’ is often considered to be the classroom, but as our contributors show us, CSE also lives, breathes and thrives in habitats as disparate as neighbourhood parks, jobs-training centres, playgrounds and sports fields, law schools, family discussions, and digital spaces.

By TARSHI

December 16, 2025

Editorial– CSE and Affirming Ecosystems