‘Being gay in India is about disclosure, not morality’ (DailyPioneer)
Sunil Gupta discusses his photo-book Queer and tells Shana Maria Verghis how gay issues in India and US differ, the latest developments on Section 377 and that it is still hard to find a place to hang out with his tribe in Delhi
On July 2, 2009, a provision in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalised sexual acts of adults in private, was struck down. The verdict was that it violated the Right to Equality, Protection of Life and Liberty. Photographer Sunil Gupta, who also works with the queer collective Nigah, explained that, “We recently went to the Supreme Court again, because many petitions were filed against the judgment by religious and extremist groups. But now there is a recess for the summer break.”
In collaboration with Vadhera Art Gallery, Gupta brought out collections of various photo-documentaries he shot over the years in a book called Queer. This provides glimpses into gay communities in India, US and Europe, among whom he has lived and worked.
Gupta had moved to US to study in the 60s, when the country was in flux of the Civil Rights Movements, feminism and Gay Pride marches. A mood he said he feels in India now, where he returned to settle in 2005. He told us, “It is like I’m reliving my youth.”
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Complete article at Daily Pioneer : http://bit.ly/jeTIS7
