Shifting Paradigms

This article attempts to conceive of a contemporary history of gender and sexuality in Kerala. As erotic intimacies remain a slippery terrain for historical explorations, the focus is on the paradigm shifts that distinguish its recent history in this region. The impact of the three political developments of recent times - the feminist movement, the politicisation of sex workers, and the queer movement - is also looked at. Citing instances from popular debates and cultural artefacts, it charts out the complex trajectories of "regional" imaginations and conceptualisations of gender and sexualities in contemporary India.