Gay Bombay is an
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
social organization
In sociology, a social organization is a pattern of relationships between and among individuals and social groups.
Characteristics of social organization can include qualities such as sexual composition, spatiotemporal cohesion, leadership, s ...
in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
, India, which promotes
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, ...
. It was founded in 1998. The organization works to create an awareness of
gay rights through workshops, film screenings, and parties.
The organisation aims to create a
safe space
The term safe space refers to places "intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations". The term originated in LGBT culture, but has since expanded to include any place where a margi ...
for the
LGBT community.
History
Gay Bombay was founded in 1998. It is one of
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
's longest-running gay support groups, which has been hosting parties in different clubs since 2000.
Activities
Gay Bombay organizes various LGBT events including dance parties, picnics, film festivals, film screenings parents meeting, trekking, cooking, speed-dating brunches, counselling sessions, meet-ups, gatherings, and discussions on topics such as HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
and relationships.[
In July 2009, Gay Bombay organized a party to celebrate the ]Delhi High Court
The High Court of Delhi ( IAST: ''dillī uchcha nyāyālaya'') was established on 31 October 1966, through the ''Delhi High Court Act, 1966'', with four judges, Chief Justice K. S. Hegde, Justice I. D. Dua, Justice H. R. Khanna and Justice S ...
's verdict on decriminalizing homosexuality in India
Homosexuality in India has been a subject of discussion from ancient times to modern times. Hindu texts have taken various positions regarding homosexual characters and themes. The ancient Indian text ''Kamasutra'' written by Vātsyāyana dedic ...
. In 2008, the Queer Media Collective Awards was started by Gay Bombay to acknowledge and honor the media's support of the LGBT movement in India.
It organizes a talent show every year, Gay Bombay Talent Show, to provide a platform for LGBT artists.NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
founded by D'Souza.
In popular culture
The book ''Gay Bombay: Globalization, Love and (Be)longing in Contemporary India'' (2008) by Parmesh Shahani, is based on characters and situations that the members of Gay Bombay experienced, reportedly to ''Mint
MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...
''.
See also
* LGBT history in India
The LGBTQ community has a long recorded history in Ancient India due to the prevalence of the accepting Hindu spiritual traditions and cultures across the subcontinent, with a turbulent period following Islamic Turkic rule and Christian European co ...
* LGBT culture in India
India has a vibrant LGBTQ culture, especially in its large cities due to growing acceptance in the recent years.
Sexuality in pre-modern India
Throughout Hindu and Vedic texts there are many descriptions of saints, demigods, and even the Supre ...
* List of LGBT rights organizations
This is a list of LGBT rights organizations around the world. For social and support groups or organizations affiliated with mainstream religious organizations, please see ''List of LGBT-related organizations and conferences''. For organization ...
References
a Huggins19. Ganguly, Dibeyendu: (1 Dec,8 2015) For HR Chiefs, LGBT is the New Diversity Frontier, The Economic Times
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
The 2015 Gay Bombay Art Meet – A Photo Essay
at ''Firstpost''
{{Indian non-profit
LGBT political advocacy groups in India
LGBT history in India
LGBT culture in Mumbai
HIV/AIDS organizations in India
LGBT in India
HIV/AIDS prevention organizations
1998 establishments in Maharashtra
Organizations established in 1998
LGBT collectives