Public Talk

Invisible Citizens: Queer Muslims and the Gaps in Personal Law

with Hasina Khan – queer feminist activist

The public talk to discuss the experience and activism of Queer feminist activist Hasina Khan and the Bebaak collective in Mumbai, India, follows a workshop with students and activists, which will introduce and focus on the archival collection of Spinnboden on Queer family and kinship.

Hasina Khan is a Mumbai-based activist championing the cause of gender justice for Muslim women and other minorities. She is the founder of the Bebaak Collective, an association of grassroots activists and autonomous women’s groups formed in 2013 to fight against discrimination, communalism and hate speech. She has also been leading the NGO Awaaz-e-Niswaan.

In her activism, Hasina’s focus is on two fronts – legal reform and the personal struggles of women against discrimination. She emphasizes the importance of women’s participation in building consensus around issues that affect them. From offering support to women in crises, to building education and employment opportunities, as well as creating spaces for women to experience joy, Hasina has advocated for the rights of women to live with dignity and respect and make their voices heard.