Sharif D. Rangnekar is the author of ‘Straight to Normal’, a memoir about growing up gay in India, chronicling his journey of self-discovery, navigating societal expectations, and the challenges of coming out in a culture with limited acceptance. He is also a communications consultant, musician, former journalist and human rights activist.
As the director of the country's first and foremost literary festival, the Rainbow Lit Fest, Rangnekar has played a pivotal role in creating a platform for marginalised voices and amplifying queer narratives. The Rainbow Lit Fest brings together authors, poets, and artists from the queer community to engage in discussions, readings, and performances that explore themes of identity, love, and social justice. In this exclusive interview, Rangnekar delves into evolving queer narratives, the challenges and triumphs of the Rainbow Lit Fest, and the evolving landscape of LGBTQIA+ representation in India.
ADVERTISEMENT Here are edited excerpts: One thing that is common across everything that I tend to do now is communication. It is about engaging with society, people, influential groups, and the press. As a musician, it's about my being turned into a song, and as an author, it's really what I feel.
I write a lot of things that are largely very personal. And as they say, the personal is political, where the political aspects also channel into activism. But, I'm not an activist in the real sense of the word, I would say.
I haven't rolled up my s.