Imaginations of Sexual Citizenship: The Narratives of Homonationalism in India

The decriminalisation of homosexuality in India through the Navtej Singh Johar vs Union of India (2018) judgement has been described as a watershed moment, opening up various avenues for the queer community to pursue equal citizenship. However, this legal progress towards queer recognition has been accompanied by attempts to appropriate sexual discourse by ethno-nationalists. Investigating this growing interaction between ethno-nationalism and politics, my research will broadly aim to examine the role of the ethno-nationalist project in informing and/or constituting the queer imaginations of sexual citizenship in India. To accomplish this, my research will address the following interconnected questions:

(i) How do legally recognised queer communities envision and position themselves as a part of the nationalist imagination of the nationhood?

(ii) How does Islamophobia, which is central to ethno-nationalist projects, get embroiled in queer imaginations of sexual citizenship in India?

(iii) What is the effect of such complicity between ideas of queer citizenship and nationalism on the radical potential of queer?

To answer these questions, my research will rely on collecting primary data through a multi-sited research approach using three different methods: research at queer archive (QAMRA), open-ended interviews with queer activists, and participant observation at pride parades in multiple cities across India. My research seeks to develop a critical lens that explores new forms of power configurations amongst India's queer community, as well as its implications for progressive politics, minority representation, and democratic values in the context of India.