Discovering and preserving queer India.

The Queer India Archives preserve the records of queer Indian lives and communities in all their forms.

Our Collections Include: oral histories, personal papers, letters and correspondence, family photographs, diaries, organisational records, community newsletters, zines, legal documents, recordings, pride materials, manuscripts, and ephemera.

Some arrive carefully organised. Others arrive in boxes, folders, memory cards, or stories shared across a table.

THE QIA PHILOSOPHY

What matters is not only the material itself but also the relationship through which it is entrusted to the Archives.

Every collection is developed in conversation with the people who created it, inherited it, or care for it today.

Archiving is not simply about preserving materials. It is about understanding their origins, who created them, what they meant, and how to carry them forward.

Our approach combines archival practice with research, conversation, documentation, digitisation, and long-term stewardship.

01 — Receive & Understand

We begin with the people connected to the material — understanding its history, context, provenance, and significance.

02 — Document & Preserve

Materials are documented, organised, digitised where appropriate, and prepared for long-term preservation.

03 — Research & Connect

Research, oral histories, correspondence, and connections with related collections place records in context.

04 — Make Discoverable

Collections are described so that their histories can be found, understood, and responsibly accessed over time.

A collection documenting the life, work and networks of Ashok Row Kavi and his role in the emergence of organised queer life in India.

Personal papers, photographs, correspondence, publications, oral histories and related records trace a life deeply connected with India’s queer public history.

Records documenting the histories, experiences and organising of lesbian, bisexual and queer women in India.

Organisational records, photographs and negatives, visitor books, correspondence and other surviving materials are preserved with particular attention to privacy, consent and responsible access.

Records documenting the history of Bombay Dost, one of India’s earliest and most influential queer publications.

Issues, editorial material, photographs, correspondence and related records preserve the publication’s place within India’s changing queer media and community landscape.

We document the experiences, reflections, and memories of community members whose knowledge often exists beyond conventional archival records.

Through oral histories, conversations, and community participation, people remain active participants in shaping how their histories are understood.

QIA holds material in trust for the communities whose histories it preserves.

Our relationship-centred approach recognises that an archive begins with people, not with materials. We respect privacy and consent, acknowledge collective ownership, and ensure that we hold and care for the histories entrusted to us responsibly.

QIA is not only about preserving the past — it is about enabling the future.

We support research, publishing, creative use, education, and community projects that keep our histories alive, accessible, and evolving.

Our operating principles guide every engagement, collection, and decision.

01
Community-Centred Archives

02
Relationship Mapping

03
Provenance & Integrity

04
Inclusive & Intersectional Approach

05
Ethical Consent

06
Privacy & Care

07
Accessibility & Discoverability

08
Transparency & Accountability

09
Collaboration Over Extraction

10
Long-Term Stewardship

11
Activating Histories

Whether it lives in personal papers, photographs, organisational records, publications, or memory, your story can become part of the record of queer India.

Start a conversation with Queer India Archives.

Before sharing material, read how we care for it: Contributor Terms.

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