sbcltr explores the documentary photo book that gives a sensitive insight into the life of LGBTQ community in the capital

Photographers Sunil Gupta and Charan Singh, were commissioned an ambitious book project by New Press, asking them to put together a project on the LGBTQ community in Delhi that showcased how the scene had evolved over the years. It was obviously a challenging task, considering the amount of secrecy that is still maintained in the community, despite a lot of Indians openly coming out and talking about their sexual orientation. But over the course of 150 colour photographs and first person narratives, Gupta and Singh have managed to capture the struggles of the community with a fresh sensitivity and insight that no one else has managed. Perhaps this is so because Gupta has been photographing the community since the 1980s and Singh has worked at building a network of public health educators for working-class queer men in the capital. The portraits that their book offer are sensitive, reflective and in tandem with the real struggles of the Indian LGBTQ community.

You can buy the book here