Maya Sharma discussed her seminal book, 'Loving Women: Being Lesbian in Unprivileged India.'
About the Book:
Located within a personal journey of emergence from a space fraught with silences and half-truths, the book documents the life-stories of ten working-class queer women living in north India. In doing so, it dispels the myth that lesbians in India are all urban, westernized and come from upper and middle classes. These real-life narratives create a space for voices with little or no privilege, providing these women with an opportunity to share their lived realities with one another and with others. The stories effectively challenge the notion of women as sexual beings without agency, and it is hoped, will influence the women’s movement towards an inclusion of lesbian women in the movement.
About the Guest:
Maya Sharma, a feminist, is an activist in the Indian Women’s Movement. She has worked with several grassroot organizations. Her new book, “Footprints of a Queer History: Life Stories from Gujarat” features 11 case studies of LGBT women who she met in the course of her work with Vadodara’s Vikalp Women’s Group.
This series is hosted by Yoshita Srivastava, literature collective associate at Belongg. She believes inclusive representation is essential for a better future — empathy being key in dismantling prejudice. She is interested in exploring intersections of gender, sexuality, identity and culture studies, and has previously worked at media and social sector organizations.