Pride And The City: Creating Queer Third Spaces In Bengaluru

 | 
02/20/2024

In the last few years, potentially due to the pandemic-caused confinement at home, the topic of third places has gained prominence in popular discourse. They can be described simply as a place of leisure and places for people to exist outside of home and work. According to Ray Oldenburg, who coined the term, they are an essential part of social functioning. For queer people, especially, safe third spaces are more of a need than a want. While there have, in the past decade, been reforms and a slight increase in acceptance, the public and private existence of the queer community continues to be dictated by society and the law. Amidst the ongoing struggle for legalised civil unions, the need for dialogue and support remains and is arguably ever-increasing. In Bengaluru, a city with a population of over 14 million and a sizeable queer population, there exist many such spaces where members of the community converge and converse. It all started in 1994 with Good As You, one of India’s oldest queer groups. Good As You arose from informal meetings, quickly turning into an actual support group, and has been running ever since, witnessing a footfall of thousands over the years. As a non-funded group, it is survived through the contributions of its attendees. Since the founding of Swabhava, an NGO that provides mental health support to LGBTQIA+ people, the group has housed itself at their office. Good As You meetings provide a platform to discuss personal concerns, topical issues, and other relevant topics.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 12/24/2024
12/24/2024
2024 saw many historic and horrifying moments – nationally and globally. Beyond genocides, alarming climate records, and civil unrest – sexual and gender-based violence …
Added on: 12/24/2024
12/23/2024
Amid a flurry of recent school board policies aimed at the rights of transgender students, California passed a new law in July that prevents …
Added on: 12/24/2024
12/23/2024
The court in Douala, Cameroon, has now released all but one of the 13 people who were arrested on homosexuality-related charges after a Sept. …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 12/24/2024
2024 saw many historic and horrifying moments – nationally and globally. Beyond genocides, alarming climate records, and civil unrest – sexual and gender-based violence …
Added on: 12/23/2024
Francois Zankih was forced to flee Syria in 2020 after Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) twice kidnapped him and eventually issued a death notice against him. Despite this, the human …
Added on: 12/20/2024
Two trans women have made history in Nepal for running in local elections. Despite neither one winning her race, the LGBTQ+ community is still …