Lesbians, bisexual women and female to male transgender do not fit into any existing communities in India. The scattered, invisible nature of the lesbian movement makes it difficult for us to gain adequate momentum. This importantly differs from the existing (albeit marginalized) spaces available to hijras, kothis, and gay men in our society.
In India, while the hijra/kothi community is often referred to as the most visible face of sexuality minorities, arguably female-born sexualities are the most invisible. When Lesbian/Bisexual Women and Female-to-Male transgenders do appear in the public consciousness, it is to sensationalize a tragic rash of suicides in recent years.
In Kerala, the rate of lesbian suicides is very high. But except for a few exceptions, feminist groups have largely failed in attempting to understand this tragic phenomena. While sexuality minorities have given these scattered women a voice and a political platform, lesbian issues becomes diluted into the larger sexuality minority rights. Societal pressures of getting married are intensified for women in ways that differ from men. Within this context, there is an urgent need to broaden current political space given to lesbian issues and thought.
