Vaishnavi Srivastava
12th April, ON THIS DAY
“But why should women and queer people learn to forget? Generational logic underpins our investments in the dialectic of memory and forgetting;”
— J. Jack Halberstam, The Queer Art of Failure
What comes to your mind when you first imagine the colour pink? Soft pastels? Hyper femininity? Or the new trailer for Barbie 2023?( Hey! We’re all pretty excited.) Stereotypically speaking, the term International Day of Pink would certainly imply an image of white blondes promoting a sorority event (no shade) and not something pertaining to resistance and punk. However, the significance of this day in queer history far surpasses its typical characterization by an average joe.
Courtesy: Home Grown
The International Day of Pink was initially started when a queer student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt in a high school in Nova Scotia Canada, back in 2007. In solidarity, a movement of resistance was started by the kid’s peers by wearing pink shirts in order to stand up against bullying of students who identified as queer or a part of the LGBTQ community. This particular movement sparked a huge display of allyship, so much so that it led to the establishment of the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. Hence, the day is also referred to as “Pink Shirt Day”, and it is celebrated each year on the second Wednesday of April.
It is no news that Queer artists have always had to fight the power and battle the establishment. Following are some instances of Queer Art and artists in history as a homage to this day:
- Bhupen Khakhar: In the recent day and age, there are several Indian or South Asian queer artists who have been on the rise and have found a platform. This, however, could not have been done without the queer artists of the previous generations paving the way for the upcoming generations. Bhupen Khakhar is one such legend in the discourse of Indian queer art history. The openly gay artist has a number of infamous paintings, most significantly “Two Men In Benaras” (1982), that display bold physical intimacy between two men. Khakhar’s works go in length to display themes of religious conflict and personal sexuality.
Courtesy: Southeby’s
- Beauford Delaney: The Abstract Expressionist during the Harlem Renaissance period faced several backlashes back in the day being a black, gay artist in the 1970s. Although Delaney never strictly committed to one particular art style (be it Abstract Art or Realism). His art was characterized by his use of bold colours to paint simple structures.
Courtesy: New York Times
- Mickalene Thomas: Thomas is famously known for her depictions of gender, sexuality, race and problems faced by queer black folks. She is also famously known for her rhinestone paintings of women. She is one of the prominent figures among contemporary African-American artists.
Courtesy: Telfair Museums
- Ladies of the Zenana on a Roof Terrace: While the infamous painting by Ustad Ruknuddin dates back to c. 1666, Bikaner has raised controversies surrounding the “male gaze” in the depiction of women. It was proposed by Baylee Woodley how queer folks may reclaim the painting as it would be pleasurable to the lesbian perspective- this display of intimacy and affection among the women.
Courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Pulp Cover Arts: Queer pulp comics and novels from the 1950s-60s were a way for closeted queer folks to read about same-sex fiction. It somewhat became a code among lesbians wherein it was apparent that the words “twilight” and “strange” were indications that the novels -had the now popular- wlw or woman-love-woman theme.
Courtesy: Gay rights Evolution
The sub-culture of Punk that emerged in the late 1970s had its origins in forms of art, fashion and media as the genres majorly follow views of anti-establishment and promoting individual freedom. Queer art and artists have had a similar trajectory which is why the lines between the two subcultures often merge. The International Day of Pink as well originated in resistance to the persisting environment of bullying and outcasting queer folks. So when we really think about it, pink is pretty punk.
Vaishnavi Srivastava is a learning writer, a keen researcher and a literature enthusiast. She is a Sub-editor at Abir Pothi.
