Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Sociology

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

This dissertation explores how queer and non-conforming individuals in urban India navigate, resist, and reimagine dominant norms of kinship, intimacy, and family. Drawing on 18 in-depth interviews, it examines the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in the aftermath of legal reforms such as the decriminalization of Section 377 and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act. While these reforms mark symbolic progress, queer individuals continue to face social stigma, legal exclusions, and familial rejection. The study is divided into three chapters: the first analyzes the dual role of homosociality as both a space of refuge and constraint; the second investigates how participants form chosen families and challenge heteronormative ideals of caregiving and cohabitation; the third examines the aspirational and ethical reimagining of queer parenthood, especially through adoption. Situating these narratives within a historical context shaped by colonial moral regulation and nationalist gender ideologies, the dissertation shows how queer individuals craft alternative modes of belonging grounded in care, reciprocity, and resistance. This work contributes to South Asian queer studies and kinship scholarship by foregrounding everyday strategies of survival and reconfiguration, offering a culturally situated understanding of queer life beyond legal visibility.

Date

5-28-2025

Committee Chair

Sarah Becker

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