What’s happening right now in the US incites so many feelings in me. One being deja vu. I am Indian and as part of the rise of the right wing in this country a false narrative has been set on what it means to be “Indian”, which basically translates to repress all discourse on sexuality and gender freedom. This in the land where the major religion has prominent gods who are worshipped in queer forms, where history and mythology have had powerful women embracing their rights and needs.
It feels like a fire raging through the world right now.
It makes me so angry that this is happening all over the world. I'm not an expert on Indian politics or religion, but I have studied some temple art. What you say is absolutely true about sexuality and gender fluidity being a normal part of your culture for thousands of years. I think images such as those carved onto the temple at Khajuraho clearly illustrate that sexual union can be a form of prayer, or at least a good metaphor for joining with the divine. Such acts are beautiful and should be celebrated as such. Modhi is twisting religion in the same way as the politicans here in the US. I hope there are enough voices like yours in India that are able to speak on behalf of women and queer folks. I'm doing my best over here in the US. Thank you for taking the time to comment on my post.
Yikes, yeah there's no end to their madness. :( I really hope there's some way to stop this. I hope they won't try to shut down libraries or ban books all over America. (Or even try to ban books at online retailers, omg.) Trump may be president, but his power isn't supreme, right? He acts like a dictator and believes he's a king. But legally speaking, he's only a president, not a king, so there are some checks on his power, right? I don't know enough about politics to say. Just that democracy is not like this. They don't get to say "free speech" and then try to silence transgender people, for instance.
There should be checks on his power, but our Constitution was written before the formation of the political parties. Now that many politicans are more beholden to their party than the country itself, it appears that the entire system is failing. I don't know what is going to happen or where the US will be in 5, 10, or even 25 years. Its really frightening. But also, I was very much in Buddhism for a while, and so I'll keep "chopping wood and carrying water" despite it all. Or rather, writing my stories and showing up as a book coach and librarian for the people that need me.
Yes to "chopping wood and carrying water" despite it all! No matter what, we can still do our own important work and help others (being a writer, coach, therapist, good friend, etc.) It's our own form of defiance!
I don't know how much of this is making the American media, but please know that we non-Americans are pushing back against Trump in all the ways we can think of. Canadians are boycotting American products and services en masse, and our government is poised to bring in countertariffs. I have been working hard with my students for our Freedom to Read Week at the end of February and making sure that they understand the importance of intellectual freedom.
When I look back through history, I see that this whole crackdown on "pornography" is just another bogeyman, like McCarthyism or the Satanic Panic, but its effects have the potential to be far more reaching. Can you back up your work on another platform? I am going to start my Substack in the next couple of weeks, but I plan to back up every post on several other platforms (and an external hard drive) just in case!
Please keep fighting. We librarians are here to ensure equal access to information for all, not to groom children or promote pornography.
What’s happening right now in the US incites so many feelings in me. One being deja vu. I am Indian and as part of the rise of the right wing in this country a false narrative has been set on what it means to be “Indian”, which basically translates to repress all discourse on sexuality and gender freedom. This in the land where the major religion has prominent gods who are worshipped in queer forms, where history and mythology have had powerful women embracing their rights and needs.
It feels like a fire raging through the world right now.
It makes me so angry that this is happening all over the world. I'm not an expert on Indian politics or religion, but I have studied some temple art. What you say is absolutely true about sexuality and gender fluidity being a normal part of your culture for thousands of years. I think images such as those carved onto the temple at Khajuraho clearly illustrate that sexual union can be a form of prayer, or at least a good metaphor for joining with the divine. Such acts are beautiful and should be celebrated as such. Modhi is twisting religion in the same way as the politicans here in the US. I hope there are enough voices like yours in India that are able to speak on behalf of women and queer folks. I'm doing my best over here in the US. Thank you for taking the time to comment on my post.
Thank you for weighing in, I’m glad to know you are aware of India’s rich heritage which is anything but regressive.
Yikes, yeah there's no end to their madness. :( I really hope there's some way to stop this. I hope they won't try to shut down libraries or ban books all over America. (Or even try to ban books at online retailers, omg.) Trump may be president, but his power isn't supreme, right? He acts like a dictator and believes he's a king. But legally speaking, he's only a president, not a king, so there are some checks on his power, right? I don't know enough about politics to say. Just that democracy is not like this. They don't get to say "free speech" and then try to silence transgender people, for instance.
There should be checks on his power, but our Constitution was written before the formation of the political parties. Now that many politicans are more beholden to their party than the country itself, it appears that the entire system is failing. I don't know what is going to happen or where the US will be in 5, 10, or even 25 years. Its really frightening. But also, I was very much in Buddhism for a while, and so I'll keep "chopping wood and carrying water" despite it all. Or rather, writing my stories and showing up as a book coach and librarian for the people that need me.
Yes to "chopping wood and carrying water" despite it all! No matter what, we can still do our own important work and help others (being a writer, coach, therapist, good friend, etc.) It's our own form of defiance!
Hey Ivy, I just saw Substack has free legal support for writers. This could be a resource in case Trump ever tries anything: https://substack.com/home/post/p-156057013
I don't know how much of this is making the American media, but please know that we non-Americans are pushing back against Trump in all the ways we can think of. Canadians are boycotting American products and services en masse, and our government is poised to bring in countertariffs. I have been working hard with my students for our Freedom to Read Week at the end of February and making sure that they understand the importance of intellectual freedom.
When I look back through history, I see that this whole crackdown on "pornography" is just another bogeyman, like McCarthyism or the Satanic Panic, but its effects have the potential to be far more reaching. Can you back up your work on another platform? I am going to start my Substack in the next couple of weeks, but I plan to back up every post on several other platforms (and an external hard drive) just in case!
Please keep fighting. We librarians are here to ensure equal access to information for all, not to groom children or promote pornography.