Rachel Patel
Just last year, India's shifting cultural landscape sparked global controversy when the South Asian country overturned Section 377 — a law that criminalized homosexual sex. LGBTQ+ activists had protested and campaigned for years, forcing the longstanding homophobic cultural attitudes to change. As younger generations start to step up, it’s evident that the drag scene and LGBTQ+ community will get more acceptance as youth leaders continue to promote and spread activism.
While the drag scene is common in the West, it’s in its infancy in India. The community has always had it’s pre-conceptions and stigmas surrounding what it means to be a drag queen, such as assuming someone has to be transgender or gay. Another misconception is that drag queens are “hijras”, a term that translates to eunuch and intersex. These constant fallacies surrounding the art and culture have limited people’s comfortability in exploring drag throughout India more openly.
Khushboo Sharma from Luxeva sat down with four drag queens to gain a sense of their experience since starting, and this common misunderstanding was brought up during an interview with Prateek Sachdeva (who goes by Betta Naan Stop when performing).
"People tend to think that all drag queens are hijras, which is not the case. By that, I don’t mean to imply that it's a bad association, it’s just a wrong one,” Sachdeva said to start. “Secondly, the audience often treats us like objects and presume that we are available for sexual favors since we perform in clubs, which is really disheartening and, at times, quite unnerving. People tend to sexualize our artform instead of respecting it, and this attitude needs to change."
Indian-origin drag queens have dealt with a unique set of challenges which can be attributed to a variety of different sources — such as family, culture and community. Internalized homophobia, misogyny and a lack of understanding are just a few of the feelings many queer-identifying people in India go through, as well as experience in society.
While that sense of community wasn’t always prominent in India’s drag scene, overtime bonds were formed, and there is now a stronger sense of unity. In the interview with Prateek Sachdeva, Sharma from Luxeva brought up the progression of the community.
“There was no sisterhood when I was first initiated into the scene — something that has drastically changed over time,” Sachdeva said. “There is a strong sense of community and we have formed our own sisterhood in Delhi — we are there for each other. I am sure that if my stocking gets ripped before a show, there would be a sister who’ll lend me hers."
Despite the negativity, isolation and criticism India’s queens may face, figures like Keshav Suri and his club Kitty Su offer pockets of safety. Suri is the youngest executive director at The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, an enterprise of Bharat Hotels Limited. His “brainchild” Kitty Su is the Group’s nightclub, regularly hosting local and international drag performers.
With locations in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chandigarh, Kitty Su is one of the longest running and most inclusive LGBTQ+ nightclub in the country. The club has hired India’s only differently abled DJ, as well as people directly from the marginalized queer communities. Kitty Su has also helped and supported acid attack survivors in the past, providing a safe and welcoming environment for those who need it.
Apart from his work with the Group and its club, Suri has been working with several non-governmental organizations and activists to help mainstream, marginalized communities. Just last year, he launched his #PureLove campaign to educate the masses and spread the message of loving one another from all walks of life.
He was also one of the petitioners to file a writ to revoke Section 377 in India. Wanting to use his platform and help with inclusivity in the country, he started the Keshav Suri Foundation as well. The foundation’s mission was to embrace, empower and help mainstream the LGBTQ+ community. Suri’s foundation is also the official affiliate for the It Gets Better Project in India, a non-profit that gives people a platform, inspiring them to share their stories and remind the next generation of LGBTQ+ youth that hope is out there.
Because of the locations of major clubs like this, as well as many others where drag performances are held, bigger and more major cities in India are where it’s more common to see drag be practiced. People in larger cities like Mumbai and Delhi are exposed to more people with different walks of life, since these cities are more populated as opposed to smaller villages. With the newer generation as well as the use of social media, drag is beginning to be more commonly seen throughout the country, and these larger cities provide the communities and environments needed for performers.
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