4 books that represent the Indian LGBTQ+ Community

How would it feel to have a court decide whether you have the same rights as others or not?

The world has been homophobic and misogynistic for all these years. The LGBTQ + community has been given freedom and rights just about half a decade back. It’s high time we stop treating them differently and start supporting them for who they are.

So this pride month, as a way of celebrating them, we’ve brought to you 4 amazing books that represent the Indian LGBTQA+ community.

KARI BY AMRUTA PATIL

Kari, amruta’s debut novel, begins with a lesbian protagonist and her lover attempting suicide. Both of them survive but the incident leads to their parting, resulting in a profound sense of loss in Kari’s psyche.

Kari is a thriller graphic novel. It would feel like a dark, beautiful dream.

“Kari was an extremely personal work and it’s basically about a young woman’s relationships with the city, with her glamorous roommates, with a world she doesn’t exactly fit in, with her lover, with her sexuality”, says Amruta Patil.

The thriller graphic novel’s distinctive illustrations and its hair-raising story make it a must-read.

THE TRUTH ABOUT ME: A HIJRA LIFE STORY BY A REVATHI

The Truth About Me is a courageous and moving autobiography of a Hijra (transsexual) who fought taunts, oppression, and violence she faced while running away from her village to join a house of hijras in Delhi, in her search to be authentically herself and to find a life of dignity. “Sexuality is an individual’s right but what society does is it fixes men to be a certain way and women to be a certain way which is wrong. A person can live the way he chooses to” says this brave writer.

This book is an incredible series of physical and emotional journeys to become the person she always wanted to be.

RED LIPSTICK: THE MEN IN MY LIFE BY LAXMI NARAYAN TRIPATHI

Laxmi is a transgender, she is the first transgender activist to represent Asia Pacific in the UN in 2008. She was pronounced as a boy at birth but as she grew up she never gravitated to manly things. Laxmi had a passion for singing, dancing and she loved to wear makeup and jewelry.

In this book, Laxmi tells the stories of the creators, savers, lovers, and abusers in her life. Red lipstick is a dark and exceptionally honest book.

MY MAGICAL PALACE BY KUNAL MUKHERJEE

My Magical Palace is about Rahul and Andrew, a gay couple living in San Francisco. Their life is peaceful until Rahul’s parents force him to meet girls for an arranged marriage. Rahul then narrates about his struggles and the difficulty of growing up as a gay in India in the 70s. This book will make you realize how far India has come from being a completely homophobic society to decriminalizing the 2 centuries-old homosexuality Act.

Educate yourself before you start pointing fingers at others,and what better way of educating oneself than reading books.

Many people around us are unable to live freely, who are unable to be their own self because they are scared of being judged by us.

Let’s know and read about them more and start treating them as equal as others. And here ends our recommendation list.
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