SISA spaces
TOGETHER, ALONE
It wasn’t that she had never heard of homosexuality; but, in her imagination, gay men and women were an exotic species, not real people who could, perchance, be fellow passengers on a bus, fellow shoppers at a mall, or a fellow beginner in a meditation class.
By Kaustav Bakshi
November 2, 2020
To Exist is to Defy
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
April 17, 2025
To Exist is to Defy
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
Title: Movie Review: Seeing Allred – The fight for equality goes on
Allred’s story is important because it shows us how an individual used her knowledge, power, and position to challenge the legal system in demanding rights and equality, especially for women and LGBTQ+ people.
By ElsaMarie D'Silva
September 1, 2020
Three Poems: ‘Untitled’, ‘Alchemy’ & ‘Third date’
He said ‘tender’ today/in such a way/I thought/I’d definitely like him saying/dirty things to me
By Carol D'Souza
February 1, 2022
This is how we do it
We need to recognise that mental health stressors that queer people face are not because something is inherently wrong with them.
By Shruti Chakravarty
September 1, 2022
There I sat down and wept
“Be yourself, Sarah. Awkward smiles, empty silences, weird laughter, and all. It’s just a part of being human. Loving someone physically is never not awkward. Even if it’s a monogamous relationship. It’s only the comfort of familiarity that makes you think otherwise.”
By Anna Lynn
April 19, 2021
The ‘Aunty’ Body And All That Follows
The issue with the ‘Aunty’ body arises from a deeply misogynistic and dehumanising understanding of women. In this imagination the woman, whom the world now addresses as ‘Aunty’, has basically served her purpose of marriage and child bearing, and is hence rendered useless.
By Feminism in India
March 15, 2021
The Villainised Other: Understanding Portrayals of Female Masculinity in Bollywood
Apart from the masculinity portrayed in commercial films with heterosexual tropes, Bollywood has produced movies portraying distorted female masculinity.
By Soumili Paul and Tiyasha Purohit
The Unbearability Of Desire
Intimacy can never thrive in an environment of rigid certainty. Intimacy requires surrender – not in the sense of submission – but in the willingness to be with another person without detachment or defences.
By Shaifila Ladhani
March 17, 2025
The Tree on Which Orchids Grow Safe
I’ve never known the answer to childhood questions…
By Lavanya Arora
August 19, 2025
The Time Machine – 5 In Plainspeak Articles that Celebrate Sexuality in its Diverse Forms!
The In Plainspeak team decided to time travel and re-discover previously published articles that explore the multiple ways in which people find joy and pleasure in their sexualities.
By TARSHI
February 17, 2026
The Side People
We all are members of ‘The Side People’. No, we don’t sit around a table every Saturday to cry.
By Sonakhya Samaddar
October 15, 2025
The Risks and Gains of Coming In
I had risked so much already, not just by loving another woman, but by acting on my desires. By allowing myself to feel intimacy and connection with another queer person. Despite feeling guilt and shame, this risk had become increasingly vital to take.
By Sweta
October 15, 2020