Ethics of represeNtATION: media and the Indian queer

Abstract

Emboldened by a greater public awareness of alterity and sexual freedom whether through the technological revolution, globalisation, accessibility, or for any other reason – playwrights, film directors, and the media in general in India have begun experimenting with representation of what arguably have been hitherto forbidden pleasures and ‘realities’. Alternative sexuality is one such taboo subject in Indian cultural history. Due to the same reasons, similarly, gay and lesbian groups have gained greater visibility, and are pressing for their rights, legal or otherwise. Two key issues that feature in the title of my paper, I wish to take up for discussion in the course of the presentation. i. The idea of representation as it features in contemporary aesthetics and cultural studies and ii.The question of ethics in postmodern philosophy.