Exploring Queeristan with Parmesh Shahani

from How do you like it so far? · host Colin Maclay, Parmesh Shahani, Henry Jenkins

This week we welcome Parmesh Shahani, founder of the Godrej India Culture Lab and author of Gay Bombay: Globalization, Love and (Be)longing in Contemporary India and Queeristan: LGBTQ Inclusion in the Indian Workplace. While Parmesh was eating his blueberry cake and drinking coffee to start his day, the sun was setting in Los Angeles. Across this conversation, we explore his journey to the United States and how his time at MIT changed his world view; the legal and political struggles over LGBTQ rights in India over the past decade or so; the work he has done with the India Culture Lab and through work within corporations; the tolerance of diverse gender and sexual identities in classical Indian mythology; the role of popular Indian media as a catalyst for change; his status as a fashion icon; and his excitement over the changes that are taking place across his country as small town India embraces queer sexuality. All of these and many other themes are addressed in his recent book as he seeks to “queer” what business books look like and the kinds of arguments they advance. His closing speech about the queer future of India is not to be missed!A full transcript of this episode will be available SOON on the episode page.Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper:Indian student protests early 2020Coronavirus lockdown: The Indian migrants dying to get homeGay Bombay: Globalization, Love and (Be)longing in Contemporary IndiaQueeristan: LGBTQ Inclusion in the Indian WorkplaceMentioned in Queeristan:Pierre BourdieuMichel FoucaultJacques DerridaShah Rukh KhanToblerone chocolateMIT Comparative Media Studies Program (CMS)Program Administrator Chris PomieckoParmesh’s Between the Lines film seriesMIT Rainbow LoungeConvergence Culture ConsortiumSwades (Shah Rukh Khan film that inspired Parmesh to return to India)India’s LGBTQ+ Legal History2009 Delhi High Court2013 Supreme Court Verdict2014 Verdict for transgender rights2017 Right to Privacy2018 Special Bench - LGBTQ decriminalization2019 Transgender ActGodrej India Culture LabHenry Jenkins Master Class at the Culture LabParmesh’s Godrej recruitment – Godrej Live Out Ur Dream (LOUD)Harvey Milk inspirationHistory of sexuality in IndiaDevdutt Pattanaik – Shikhandi: And Other Tales They Don't Tell You.Same Sex Love in IndiaThomas Babington Macaulay Narendra Modi – Hindu NationalismPopular media narratives of Indian parents accepting their queer children:Gazal Dhaliwal; her story on Aamir Khan’s TV show Satyamev JayateMore about the story of Kusuma that Parmesh spoke about can be found in his book, Queeristan, on pp 122-123.Films:DostanaShubh Mangal Zyada SaavdhamEk Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (starring Sonam Kapoor and Anil Kapoor)Lee Badget – World Bank Report – cost to business of homophobiaMichel Foucault – PanoptikonGQ – Parmesh as Fashion Icon – Neon Green20182019It’s not the cover, but… story in Vogue IndiaCurrent Scholarship – Queer stories through the lens of joy:Brian Horton (Brandeis, forthcoming book, Shimmers of the Fabulous)Anjali Arondekar (UC Santa Cruz)What’s exciting Parmesh in India right now…Small town youth-run events:Raipur PrideAwadh Queer Literature Festival - LucknowXUKIA Collective - AssamYa_All - ManipurQueer LitFest - ChennaiProjects:Grace Banu - cooperative dairy for trans peopleDalit Queer ProjectQueer Muslim ProjectBooks:A Life in Trans Activism by A. RevathiMohanaswamy by VasudhendraMaya Sharma - Loving Women: Being Lesbian in Unprivileged IndiaGovernment:Hiring trans people to run metro stationsShare your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin and the How Do You Like It So Far? account! You can also email us at [email protected]:"Love is Love" by Petter Wallenberg & Rainbow Riots, featuring Sushant Divgikar“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmetSpaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeatsCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumentalFree Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceshipMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Share your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin and the How Do You Like It So Far? account! You can also email us at [email protected]:“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet  https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmetSpaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeatsCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumentalFree Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceshipMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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