Author, queer rights activist Saleem Kidwai dies at 70
Born in 1951 in Lucknow, Kidwai was the co-author of ‘Same-Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History’.
Author, historian and queer rights activist Saleem Kidwai died at his Lucknow home on Monday. He was 70.
Born in 1951 in Lucknow, Kidwai was the co-author of Same-Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History. A copy of the book, published in 2001, was placed before the Supreme Court, while it heard petitions against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which earlier criminalised consensual homosexuality, according to the Hindustan Times.
The British-era law was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Some of his works include Ship of Sorrows, a translation of Urdu writer Qurratulain Hyder’s book Safina-e-gham-e-dil; Song Sung True: A memoir and The Mirror of Wonders and other tales.
Kidwai was a professor of history at Delhi University’s Ramjas College till 1993. He later became an independent scholar, The Indian Express reported.
Several authors and members of the LGBTQ community took to social media to pay their respects to Kidwai.
"The Kidwai’s thank you for your prayers and support in these difficult times.
— Rana Safvi رعنا राना (@iamrana) August 30, 2021
He will be taken to his home in Mahanagar in the afternoon and buried in his native village of Badagaon in Barabanki."
Via Askari Naqvi
Very sad news. RIP Saleem Kidwai. https://t.co/Ckd3IAdXdj
— Amitav Ghosh (@GhoshAmitav) August 30, 2021
Just heard about Saleem Kidwai passing away....feeling so sad...met him so many times after I read "same sex love in India" and he spoke so wonderfully about his gay life... here is he in his own words: https://t.co/MYHshOtzj2
— Devdutt Pattanaik (@devduttmyth) August 30, 2021
In the best of queerness, queer people who come before you raise you. Saleem Kidwai raised me, a generation of people like me. Taught, held, inspired. I am here, he said, and so are you. I can't explain what that did for a gay boy in Delhi in 2000.
— Gautam Bhan (@GautamBhan80) August 30, 2021
My heart feels broken today. pic.twitter.com/yCRWncHcZp
+ It was such a pleasure to read Saleem's work. On tawaifs, for eg:
— Nilanjana Roy 🇮🇳 (@nilanjanaroy) August 30, 2021
"It is thus not surprising that the kothas became centres of conspiracy and many ganewalis joined in the rebellion of 1857. The interrogation of a ganewali from Kanpur is recorded."https://t.co/z2kXEd4biX pic.twitter.com/3QXlNwLsoJ
I particularly remember this comment from Saleem Kidwai when I spoke to him for a 2014 feature on the history of #LGBT+ portrayals in Bollywood. I am still unsure about this matter, but he gave me food for thought and I'm still chewing on it. For that, I'm grateful. 🙏🏽#RIP pic.twitter.com/R0mU7dpWRl
— Anna MM Vetticad (@annavetticad) August 30, 2021