Digital spaces, even as algorithms govern them, have opened new worlds for connecting and communicating. Firnita Taufick, in a collection of poems<\/a>, writes about staying digitally connected while being physically apart and the joy, safety and intimacy that one can find in these online connections. Stepping briefly out into the IRL world, Arundhati Nath\u2019s review of Amelia Abraham\u2019s Queer Intentions<\/em><\/a> highlights the need to \u201cdeconstruct the binaries that frame our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Hindi section, we have two translations. The first article by Neel explores how digital spaces have reshaped<\/a> how we navigate touch, intimacy and pleasure, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of our Navintam<\/em> section, we have Andy Stephen Silveira\u2019s reflections on how class influences<\/a> our aesthetics and desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our Video section, we bring to you a short film<\/a> on Bert\u2019s excitement at the possibility of finding his online match while on the subway. Also, check out this month\u2019s TARSHI Corner<\/a> for updates from the TARSHI team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our December issue<\/strong> delves further into the connections between digital spaces and sexuality. In the Issue in Focus, writing about selfies, sewing machines, and the \u2018phygital\u2019, Bishakha Datta explores what it means to navigate the politics of sexuality<\/a> through discourse and practice while walking the thin line between pleasure and danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reflecting on the \u201clove affair between Big Tech and CSE<\/a>\u201d, Gunjan Sharma traces her journey as a Comprehensive Sexuality Trainer\/Educator from the \u2018Helpline era\u2019 to the digital era, when educators are increasingly using hybrid models, digital spaces and tools. Siddharth Narrain dwells on his entanglements with dating apps<\/a> and wonders if digital technologies can help alleviate modern loneliness. M.A. Dubbs, on the other hand, finds refuge and community<\/a> in digital spaces where she can be her true self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This month, we bring to you two Hindi translations. The first article by Bishakha Datta \u2013 supplementing the Issue in Focus \u2013 explores how loitering online<\/a> is important for digital self-determination, especially for queer folx with disabilities. In the second article, Srishti Sarkar writes about how Google and social media platforms have been crucial to learning and unlearning<\/a> about her sexuality as well as finding community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Plainspeak<\/em> turns 10<\/a> this year! As we reach this milestone, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our contributors and readers, whose support and engagement have made this journey possible and fulfilling. Thank you for helping us build a safe, inclusive and self-affirming digital space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before heading out, see this month\u2019s TARSHI Corner<\/a> for updates from our team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Happy reading, and stay connected (digitally and IRL)! TTYL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Click here to read the submission guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cover Image: Photo by Sigmund<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Digital entanglements transcend bodies, time, geographical borders and boundaries, influencing \u2013 and perhaps fundamentally changing \u2013 the ways in which we understand, explore and express our sexuality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25798,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4212,65],"tags":[229,390,3109,66,2344,996,367,440,71,4307,48,99,1079,3282,25],"class_list":{"0":"post-25790","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-digital-spaces-and-sexuality","8":"category-editorial","9":"tag-activism","10":"tag-community","11":"tag-connections","12":"tag-desire","13":"tag-digital-spaces","14":"tag-fantasy","15":"tag-identity","16":"tag-internet","17":"tag-love","18":"tag-networking","19":"tag-pleasure","20":"tag-relationships","21":"tag-representation","22":"tag-self-affirming","23":"tag-sexualities"},"menu_order":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25790"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26064,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25790\/revisions\/26064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Send](\"https:\/\/www.tarshi.net\/inplainspeak\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Feb-Eng-700x700.png\")
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