Unlearn

Unlearn

Resources To Be Stronger Allies

If you’re here, you may have read a bit about us launching Unlearn. If you haven’t, you can click here for how this initiative came about and a few other things we’ll be doing for the rest of the year to be stronger allies in the LGBTQIA+ space.

This is a crowdsourced project so if there are resources or NGOs you recommend all around the country, please let us know by emailing unlearn@bluetokaicoffee.com and we’ll add to this list. 

To make sure that these resources are shared with as many people as possible, we’re creating this space for Unlearning. We’ve added movies that have affected us, queer creators that we follow, NGOs that we have researched (a lot of whom are doing amazing work in rural areas and need your support), websites that contain everything and more about this space in India, and events featuring brilliant queer talent that we’ll be hosting. 

 

Here is a list of people we are constantly learning from: 

1. Priyanka Paul @artwhoring
Priyanka Paul is a gender-fluid illustrator, poet, writer, creator and storyteller. They are known for being vocal online about the LGBTQIA+ community, mental health, body positivity and caste.

2. Durga Gawde @durgagawdestudio 
Durga Gawde is a non-binary artist from India known for their vibrant and thought-provoking artwork. They explore themes of gender, identity, and sexuality through their installations and performance art. 

3. Alok Vaid Menon @alokvmenon
ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed author, poet, comedian, and public speaker. As a mixed-media artist, their work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. They are the author of Femme in Public (2017), Beyond the Gender Binary (2020), and Your Wound/My Garden (2021) and the creator of #DeGenderFashion: an initiative to degender fashion and beauty industries.

4. Sushant Divgikar @sushantdivgik  
A singer, actor, and drag performer who gained recognition as the winner of Mr. Gay India 2014. They have since become an influential voice for LGBTQ+ rights in India. 

5. Harshvardhan Shahi @thepotplantclothing 
A fashion designer and founder of the label 'The Pot Plant,' known for their gender-fluid and inclusive designs. 

6. Sanket Sveronic @sanket_sveronic 
Sanket is a queer illustrator and graphic designer whose artwork often addresses LGBTQ+ themes, body positivity, and mental health. 

7. Sharmistha Ray @sharmistharay 
A contemporary artist whose works engage with diverse subjects, including queer identity, feminism, and societal constructs. 

8. Pooja Nansi @pnansi
Pooja Nansi is a poet, educator, and performer who often explores themes of identity, race, and sexuality in her work. She shares her poetry and thoughts on social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights and inclusivity.

9. Anwesh Sahoo @anwesh.sahoo
Anwesh Sahoo is a gay content creator, visual artist and TEDx speaker who became the youngest winner of Mr. Gay World India 2016 at the age of 20. He also represented India at the Mr. Gay World 2016 pageant held in Malta, Europe and made it to the Top 12.

10. Maitayanee Mahanta @mmaitrayanee
Maitayanee Mahanta is a lesbian content writer, model and artist from Guwahati and uses the pronouns She/They. 

11. Vivek Shraya @vivekshraya
Vivek is a Canadian Screen Award winner and a Polaris Music Prize nominee, and her best-selling book I’m Afraid of Men was heralded by Vanity Fair as “cultural rocket fuel.” She is also the founder of the award-winning publishing imprint VS. Books, which supports emerging BIPOC writers.

12. Rohit Singh @roro_love_makeup
Rohit Singh is a gender non-binary self-taught professional makeup artist who is known to be vocal about makeup not being centred on a specific gender.

13. Alex Matthew @mayathedragqueen
Alex Matthew is a gender-fluid Indian drag queen, artist, Tedx speaker and content creator from Bangalore who plays an integral role in queer community activism.

14. Dr. Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju @trintrin
Dr. Trinetra was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 India (2020) and is Karnataka’s first trans doctor who is also an actor and influencer who spreads awareness about gender, sexuality, queerphobia, bullying, mental health, feminism and more.

15. Ankit Dasgupta @ankitdasgupta
Ankit documents his ideologies, experiences and his opinions to educate his followers, and has worked closely with journalist Faye D’Souza to promote amendments in Article 377.

16. Vqueeram Aditya Sahai @vqueer
Vikramaditya is a teacher by profession at Ambedkar University and they take a firm stand on LGBTQ+ issues. They use their social media platform to talk about gender inequality, mental health issues and violence on LGBT+ among other topics.


Movies we recommend:

REGIONAL CINEMA 

 

ALTERNATIVE CINEMA 

MAINSTREAM HINDI CINEMA 

 

RECENT FILMS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES 

 

Podcasts we think you’ll like: 

1. Man enough with Alok V Menon 

The Man Enough Podcast explores how masculinity shows up in relationships, body image, privilege, fatherhood, sex, success, mental health and so much more. In this episode filled with wisdom, historical insight, and radical mercy, ALOK challenges us to value compassion over comprehension, to try harder for each other in the name of love, and reminds us that learning is a sign of being alive. 

2. Queerness and storytelling by Rajorshi Das 

This episode focuses on creating queer spaces on campus and is best recommended for students and faculty everywhere. 

3. Shuddh Desi Gay with Yogi and Kabeer

This episode covers feel good queer romantic stories

4. Taali, life of a transgender

In this episode, Fida and Abhinav talk about breast enhancement surgery for  transgenders and what it entails.

5. Queerious connections by Haldidoodh Media 

This episode talks about lesbian dating, female sexuality and acceptance in the community. 

Organisations to donate to and volunteer with:

  1. Gaysi Family : A platform that amplifies queer voices and experiences through art, stories, and events.  
  2. Keshav Suri Foundation : The official account of the Keshav Suri Foundation, which works towards promoting diversity and equality in India, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ rights.  
  3. Nazariya Foundation : A collective that works towards building an inclusive society by conducting workshops, events, and campaigns centred around gender and sexuality.
  4. The Queer Alphabet : A platform that explores and celebrates queer culture, identities, and experiences through visual art and storytelling. 
  5. 50 Shades of Gay : FSOG is a community portal that has been at the forefront of social change in India and continues to work towards empowering the South Asian queer community and fostering a society free of prejudice, discrimination and inequality through personal stories, narratives and plain hard facts.
  6. Sappho for Equality : Sappho for Equality is the only registered organisation in Kolkata, that works for the rights and social justice of individuals with non­-normative gender-sexual orientations. It uniquely works to create bridges between the so-called normative and non-normative populations in our society and positions gender-sexuality within existing development discourses.
  7. The Humsafar Trust : The Humsafar Trust (HST) became the first openly Gay Community Based Organisation to be allotted space in a Municipal building in Mumbai. HST organises advocacy workshops for health care provides, law enforcement agencies, judiciary, legislators, politicians and political parties, government bodies, media, student community to sensitise them on gay, MSM and transgender issues
  8. Harmless Hugs : Harmless Hugs was started as an online secret LGBT group and took the shape of a young collective which is working for LGBT rights in India. 
  9. Srishti Madurai : Srishti Madurai is a space which explores the interrelations of nature, human and society through various forms such as research, education and social work. 
  10. Naz Foundation : Naz’s vision is to create a just and equitable society by transforming individuals from socially and economically excluded communities into agents of change.
  11. Queerythm : Queerythm is a Kerala based LGBTIQ Community to empower & voice for the rights, growth & lifestyles of Queer people. 
  12. Queerala : Queerala is an organisation for Malayali LGBTIQI+ people. Started as a support group Facebook page for individuals interested in queer topics, Queerala aims for a society free of discrimination against gender nonconforming individuals and sexual minorities.
  13. Good As You : GoodasYou, started in 1994, is the oldest support group for Queer (LGBTQIA+) persons. 
  14. Sangama (Bengaluru) : Sangama works towards the well being of Economically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities: transgender persons, sexual minorities and sex workers in Karnataka and slum dwellers in Bengaluru city and also works with their family members, friends and co-workers and the society at large.
  15. One Future Collective : OFO provides knowledge and capacity building, nurturing safe spaces, advocacy, feminist mental health and legal services and youth engagement in the areas of gender justice, mental health, feminist leadership.
  16. LGBTQ Chhattisgarh : A Chhattisgarh based youth run LGBTQIA+ initiative.
  17. Xobdo Foundation : An organisation in Assam, India working towards upholding the dignity of the LGBTQIA+ identifying people through the creation of dialogue and movement.
  18. Nirantar Trust : A resource centre that empowers through education, seeing and shaping education processes from a critical, feminist perspective. They promote transformatory formal and non-formal learning processes which enable girls and women from marginalised communities to better understand and address their realities.
  19. Himachal Queer Foundation : A Himachal-based queer resource centre.

 

To send in your thoughts or recommended listings, please reach us at:

📧 unlearn@bluetokaicoffee.com 

 

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