Ruth Vanita is an Indian academic, activist and author who specializes in lesbian and gay studies, gender studies, British and South Asian literary history. Vanita co-founded Manushi: A Journal about Women and Society, a journal that combined academic research and grassroots activism. She served as the journal’s co-editor from 1979 to 1990.
Saleem Kidwai is a medieval historian, gay studies scholar and translator. He taught history at Ramjas College, University of Delhi for many years, and now is an independent scholar. He was one of the first academics to speak publicly as a member of the LGBT community.
In this short video, they provide insights from ‘Same-Sex love in India: Readings from Literature and History’, a book that they have co edited. They talk about how references of homosexuality and gender fluidity are found even in ancient texts and it is not a modern ‘influence’. They also voice their views on section 377, stating that it is a colonial law and has nothing to with ‘Indian culture’.