Scholar Warns of Anti-Trans Hostility in Queer Movements

At the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2026, scholar Rohit K Dasgupta talked about how queer movements around the world are facing new problems.

He said that the idea of the West being a safe and happy place for queer people is not true.

South Asians who moved to places like London often felt left out because of racism.

In the past, different groups of people who were treated unfairly would come together to support each other.

But after events like 9/11 and the 2005 London bombings, this unity started to break down.

People began to distance themselves from certain groups to avoid racism.

Another speaker, Debjyoti Ghosh, said that even within queer communities, there is a lot of exclusion.

People use phrases like 'no fats, no femmes, no lesbians, no uncles' on dating apps, which shows that some people are not accepted.

Trans people are especially affected by this.

Dasgupta also warned that there is a lot of anti-trans talk even within some queer groups.

Because of this, many activists are creating their own separate events, like Trans Pride and Black Pride, instead of joining mainstream Pride marches.

Despite these challenges, Dasgupta believes that collective resistance is still possible.