Mumbai gay
Mumbai is an exciting town, bursting with energy, history, art, and awe-inspiring architecture. Previously known as B0mbay, the city is the birthplace of Bollywood and home to the countries financial district. It is also famed for having a relaxed cosmopolitan vibe.
But what is it like to be Queer in Mumbai? Is the attitude towards the LGBT+ community as liberal as Mumbai’s reputation suggests? We travelled to Mumbai to find out. We learnt that following the historic 2018 decision to decriminalise homos*xuality in India, the gay scene in Mumbai is in fact on the rise.
Truth be told; this was a surprise. In our experience, India was still very socially conservative. We certainly hadn’t heard of any hint of a gay scene in the likes of Jaipur, Varanasi, or even Goa! But with LGBT organisations such as ‘It Gets Better India‘ and the ‘Keshav Suri Foundation‘ continuously fighting for noticeability and acceptance, times ARE changing.
As it turns out, Mumbai is indeed a city full of surprises. Asides from the queer scene, she is a paradoxical city. One that gives with one hand and takes with the other. An extreme d
MUMBAI, INDIA
Holiday Houseboys
To fully appreciate Mumbai you need to book a Holiday Houseboy Guide, your private gay friendly tour guide. He will be able to show you around like a local. Whether you want to see the tourist sites, places off the thrashed track or discover recent experiences, the Holiday Houseboy Guide is there to help you. He looks after your safety and welfare at all times. It is a amusing way to explore a new city.
Shailesh
Shailesh has a Masters in Chemistry. Then after completing a Guiding Course ran by the Ministry of Tourism he became a licensed instruction. Operating since 2013, Shailesh has given many tours. In addition he is well travelled himself. He has travelled outside India and can connect skillfully with many people from different cultures and backgrounds. His experience will construct him an excellent selection as a guide. He is used to assessing the expectations of guests and where possible, exceeding them. Moreover if you are a cricket fan, then Shailesh is too.
Shailesh is a non smoker, and speaks English, Gujarati, Hindi and Marathi.
Total amount for the guide services of Shailesh for one day (8 hours) = a non refundable deposit of USD 45
Gay Mumbai · City Guide
One of the world’s excellent megacities, Mumbai is India’s largest, with an estimated total population of 21 million and counting, and the nation’s commercial capital. The city is the centre of India's opulent modern culture, with the Bollywood, fashion and tourism industries all being based in this hectic and exciting metropolis.
A city of superlatives and contrasts, house to Bollywood and the largest slum population of India, this port and beach city has been a stimulating and rewarding destination for many generations of travelers. From backpackers to luxury tourists, there is something here tom pique the interests of any traveler. Home to some of the planet's most beautiful colonial architecture, Mumbai is also a melting pot of architectural styles and uses, wander down any given backstreet and you may stumble across a hidden Bazar, or just as likely, a hipster cafe.
Being LGBT+ is still widely considered a taboo in Mumbai but whilst gay people here face unique challenges there is also a small and concentrated queer scene. Comprising of only a few established venues, the gay community in the city is secure knit and welcoming.
Gay rights in Mumba
Published in:November-December 2015 issue.
YOU COULD BE on Oxford Lane, or anywhere else in the world’s large cities where young gay men congregate. But the four immaculately styled men, clearly gay, are sitting in an old Irani café in Mumbai, perched on creaking mahogany chairs atop a linoleum floor, under ceiling fans and elderly posters from Indian Railways on the walls. Too hot even for mosquitoes, as the street outside slowly curves and shimmers under the weight of sun and car fumes.
We eat toasted chicken sandwiches and custard, odd leftovers from the Raj, in the oppressive heat, and I watch the four men, their gestures immediately familiar. Like us, they have crossed the street, past the auto rickshaws (“tuk-tuks”), the sleeping dogs, the many small pharmacies, the never-ending stream of cars and taxis, to come to the Sassanian Boulangerie.
Like us, they’re in this corner of the city, near the Churchgate Railway Station, to go to the sixth Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. The festival is centered around the Liberty Cinema, a well-preserved dowager from 1947, whose owner had helped welcome us on the opening night. The Liberty has remained a cinema ever sin
.
Gay Mumbai · City Guide
One of the world’s excellent megacities, Mumbai is India’s largest, with an estimated total population of 21 million and counting, and the nation’s commercial capital. The city is the centre of India's opulent modern culture, with the Bollywood, fashion and tourism industries all being based in this hectic and exciting metropolis.
A city of superlatives and contrasts, house to Bollywood and the largest slum population of India, this port and beach city has been a stimulating and rewarding destination for many generations of travelers. From backpackers to luxury tourists, there is something here tom pique the interests of any traveler. Home to some of the planet's most beautiful colonial architecture, Mumbai is also a melting pot of architectural styles and uses, wander down any given backstreet and you may stumble across a hidden Bazar, or just as likely, a hipster cafe.
Being LGBT+ is still widely considered a taboo in Mumbai but whilst gay people here face unique challenges there is also a small and concentrated queer scene. Comprising of only a few established venues, the gay community in the city is secure knit and welcoming.
Gay rights in Mumba
Published in:November-December 2015 issue.
YOU COULD BE on Oxford Lane, or anywhere else in the world’s large cities where young gay men congregate. But the four immaculately styled men, clearly gay, are sitting in an old Irani café in Mumbai, perched on creaking mahogany chairs atop a linoleum floor, under ceiling fans and elderly posters from Indian Railways on the walls. Too hot even for mosquitoes, as the street outside slowly curves and shimmers under the weight of sun and car fumes.
We eat toasted chicken sandwiches and custard, odd leftovers from the Raj, in the oppressive heat, and I watch the four men, their gestures immediately familiar. Like us, they have crossed the street, past the auto rickshaws (“tuk-tuks”), the sleeping dogs, the many small pharmacies, the never-ending stream of cars and taxis, to come to the Sassanian Boulangerie.
Like us, they’re in this corner of the city, near the Churchgate Railway Station, to go to the sixth Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. The festival is centered around the Liberty Cinema, a well-preserved dowager from 1947, whose owner had helped welcome us on the opening night. The Liberty has remained a cinema ever sin
.
Published in:November-December 2015 issue.
YOU COULD BE on Oxford Lane, or anywhere else in the world’s large cities where young gay men congregate. But the four immaculately styled men, clearly gay, are sitting in an old Irani café in Mumbai, perched on creaking mahogany chairs atop a linoleum floor, under ceiling fans and elderly posters from Indian Railways on the walls. Too hot even for mosquitoes, as the street outside slowly curves and shimmers under the weight of sun and car fumes.
We eat toasted chicken sandwiches and custard, odd leftovers from the Raj, in the oppressive heat, and I watch the four men, their gestures immediately familiar. Like us, they have crossed the street, past the auto rickshaws (“tuk-tuks”), the sleeping dogs, the many small pharmacies, the never-ending stream of cars and taxis, to come to the Sassanian Boulangerie.
Like us, they’re in this corner of the city, near the Churchgate Railway Station, to go to the sixth Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. The festival is centered around the Liberty Cinema, a well-preserved dowager from 1947, whose owner had helped welcome us on the opening night. The Liberty has remained a cinema ever sin
.