New at Histori Queer:

Following is an extremely interesting and completely entertaining interview with a certain ‘SK’, described as the president of the now-defunct organisation, the ‘Lavndebaaz-i-Hind’ in the August 15-31, 1977 issue of the now-defunct ‘Onlooker’ magazine. Interesting, because (and we seem to be on a series of firsts in the queer movement on this blog) it was perhaps the first time in post-colonial India that an open articulation for a more positive recognition of homosexuals by the law was being made. Although, ‘SK’ was asking for legalisation and not decriminalisation, which seems to be the more legally sound term, (and since the original interview was translated by the magazine from Hindustani to English, there is a chance that this may have been lost in translation) I believe it is very significant that the linkage between harassment, the law and law-enforcement was being made and was being publicly articulated in 1977.