Atrangik narivad: New directions for queer feminist studies in India

Abstract

SummaryThis essay places Srila Roy's recently published Changing the Subject in dialogue with my book Worlding Postcolonial Sexualities, studying Southern feminist and queer activism to reveal solidarities and dissensions contributing to new world‐making forms. My focus is on the first section of Changing the Subject, where Roy describes her research with Sappho for Equality (SFE) to map a queer feminism—one I describe as atrangik narivad in Hindi—characterized by three specific shifts: from physical (community center, organization offices, homes) to virtual spaces; from lesbian to trans concerns; and from activism to consumption. The essay concludes with some observations and queries about feminist, queer pedagogy in connection with Roy's students in South Africa and mine in North America and India.