Negotiating Intersectional Non-Normative Queer Identities in India

Abstract

Academic work dealing with queerness in HCI is predominantly based in the Global North and has often dealt with one identity dimension at a time. This work-in-progress study attempts to complicate the notion of queerness in HCI by highlighting how in the multi-religious, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural context of India, LGBTQ+ movements and spaces are deeply fractured on the basis of various identity intersections. We interview 18 LGBTQ+ activists, lawyers, and allied activists in the Delhi, India to understand the issues faced by queer Indians from minority groups and their use of social media and discuss how they negotiate their non-normative identities to create safe spaces, gain access to resources, and engage in care work. The argument that we are bringing into HCI scholarship through this paper is geared toward a future endeavor for designing safe space for marginalized groups in the global south keeping in mind negotiations of power, legitimacy, and resources.