On lesbian subjectivity and same-sex marriage: an interview with Ruth Vanita

ABSTRACT

This interview with the renowned writer in the field of Lesbian and Gay Studies, Prof. Ruth Vanita encompasses the nuances of her ideas on the same-sex love particularly in connection with the lesbian subjectivity in the Indian context. She puts forward her argument in the ongoing debate of the legality of marriage between same-sex relationships and the terminology used in the debate among various theorists and activists of this field. In the field of gender and sexuality, the case of gender priority in the queer community has also been an issue which was addressed by Prof. Vanita. The question raised on the term ‘heteronormativity’ and the contradictory opinions surrounding the same-sex marriage within the queer community has also been discussed in detail. Prof. Vanita also explains how she views the same-sex relationships in context of friendships and states the analogy from the narratives and testimonials dating back to the ancient India.

KEYWORDS:

• Same-sex marriage
• lesbian subjectivity
• queer
• India

Acknowledgments

The authors heartfully acknowledge the efforts of Professor Ruth Vanita for doing this interview and sharing her opinions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kumari Ruchi

Kumari Ruchi is a doctoral research fellow at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India. She is working on the area of queer studies, specifically on the study of body and desire in alternate sexuality in the underprivileged India.

Smita Jha

Smita Jha is a Professor of English at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India. Her areas of specialization include Linguistics, Indian Writing in English, Critical Theories, Technical Communication, and Soft Skills. She has published more than 55 papers in the referred journals of literature like Routledge, SAGE, OUP.