Historian, Queer Rights Activist Saleem Kidwai Passes Away, Tributes Pour In

Saleem Kidwai is best-known for co-authoring 'Same-Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History.' Image used for representational purposes. 

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/GautamBhan80)

Celebrated historian, author, and queer rights activist Saleem Kidwai passed away on Monday, 30 August, in his Lucknow residence.

Kidwai is best-known for co-authoring 'Same-Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History', which was a deep-dive into same-sex relationships in South Asia. He authored the book along with Ruth Vanita, now a professor at the University of Montana.

A copy of the book, considered a landmark in India's queer history, was given to the judges of the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, which read down Section 377, which criminalised same-sex relationships.

The 70-year-old, who taught medieval history in Delhi University, was also one of India's first academics to come out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

'Raised a Generation of People Like Me': Tributes Pour

People from across the country took to Twitter to pour tributes to the historian-writer. Many pointed that his book 'raised' an entire generation of queer people in India, creating a sense of belongingness.

Some pointed that while India has lost its first gay rights activist, his work – the celebrated book – will live on.

Kidwai is also a scholar of Urdu literature, having translated Malika Pukhraj’s autobiography and Qurratulain Hyder’s 1952 book Safina-e-gham-e-dil, into English.