Designed for the Queer Futures Potluck Party, an occasion marking the the first anniversary of the reading down of Section 377 by the Supreme Court of India, which finally decriminalised consensual same-sex sexual activity.
The evening was conceived both as moment of celebration for this hard-fought victory within the queer rights struggle of India, and as an opportunity to think about the future of the LGBTQIA rights movement in India, with the safe and convivial space of a party fostering social and political discussion and action. It was hosted by Shaunak Mahbubani & Vidisha-Fadescha and realised within the framework of Five Million Incidents, 2019-2020 supported by Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi in collaboration with Raqs Media Collective.
The poster seeks to spotlight Indian/South Asian queerness—it was imperative to incorporate indigenous elements in its depiction of queerness, through its graphic language and typography. The pattern borrows from traditional embroidery and Islamic marble engravings found in India. The pattern is made of elements chosen to evoke love (such as eyes and lips), taken from vintage hand-painted Bollywood posters. The colours of the poster are a nod to the palette of the gender fluid pride flag.
