Doc knows best

Curated by Aastha Atray Banan Jane Borges Heena Khandelwal and Nidhi LodayaAn account to follow on social media to learn more about the trans experience is that of Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju a doctor and activist who recently made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2022 One of Indiarsquos first openly transgender doctors Trinetra uses her Instagram account which now boasts over 283k followers to advocate for queer rights in social medical and legal spheres The content varies from the deeply personal to the thoroughly informative as Trinetra recounts her personal journey and the discrimination she faced as a trans woman as well as her experience of undergoing genderaffirming surgery Trinetrarsquos posts are frank funny and unflinching in their accounts of the difficulties and joys of being a transgender doctor in India What makes the content so engaging is not only the unique perspective her medical background offers her but also a very irreverent Gen Z humourtrintrin InstagramBoy meets boyYogi and KabeerShuddh Desi Gay is the first Hindi podcast that follows an openly gay couplemdashYogi and Kabeer Hailing from ordinary middleclass families the couple has been together for around seven years now They talk about their experiences as homosexuals both individually and as a couple Through the podcast they try to decode what it means to be gay and a gay couple in India in their own desi way without any jargon and minus confusion Each episode which lasts anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour sees them discuss various topics under the LGBTQumbrellamdashgay rights and laws gays in straight marriages open relationships gay parenting handling desi parents homophobia and mental health The tone of the podcast is conversational and it perhaps caters to everyone including straight people those still in the closet as well as the ones who are out and proudspotifycomA song for everyoneTeenasai BalamuSometimes only a musician can out your feelings into words and chords Bengalurubred queer artiste Teenasai Balamu who goes by the moniker GrapeGuitarBox and identifies as nonbinary and gay with theythem pronouns could be one such Their songs like Wait for you Run and Free are marked by distinct raspy vocal stylings and they sing about love feelings and that innate need to have one that belongs to only us Balamu is a gifted songwriter as well and teaches us one important lesson with their lyricsmdashat the base level we are all the same we feel the same and love is love Listen nowAvailable on all streaming platformsPep talk by LillyLilly SinghYou are not always the adjectives that you use to describe yourselfrdquo This line is among the many that stayed with this writer from Lilly Singhrsquos audiobook Be a Triangle The IndoCanadian comedian actress and television host covers various aspects of her life in the book including the time that she came out as bisexual to her parents But overall it focuses on selflove and personal growth Singh talks at length about the relationship one shares with self and the universe and looks at living a fulfilling life something that she highlights is not taught anywhere be it school or at home Like most motivational or selfhelp books this one manages to hold your interest What works best for this writer is that Singh has lent her own voice for the audio book It almost feels like shersquos giving us some pep talkmdashsomething that we all need to beat the bluesAudibleinShow off that rainbowIf you are a sareehoarder like this writer itrsquos most likely that you own a Suta or at least want to Though on the expensive side you can spot a Suta saree from a distance courtesy their pastel shades bold prints and handloom work Their latest collection Pride Without Prejudice inspired by the Pride Month offers a charming and bold range of tees sarees and blouses Our personal favourite is their Love is Love Rs 3600 which has cute polka dots on an offwhite saree with a pallu that could easily be the poster cover for the pride movement Their longsleeved puff blouse Pardon My French Rs 3200 is dramatic and chic and could be paired even with a pair of jeanssutain