ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a critical discussion on the media landscape in India, focussing on the queer media landscape followed by an examination of the intersection between cyberculture and sexuality in India. It briefly sketches out the media history of India, followed by looking at the media liberalisation period starting in 1991, moving on to a theoretical framework on queer cybercultures. The film medium in India has played a significant role in influencing and establishing public consciousness about queer identities and issues. Deepa Mehta's film Fire (1998), which drew the ire of the Hindu Right wing for portraying a lesbian love story, opened up a lively debate around female sexuality and queer identities in India. The online presence of queer South Asians can be traced back to the establishment of the Khush list, which was founded in 1992 and which is one of the 'oldest and most established discussion spaces for LGBT identified South Asians'.
