Tejaswi Subramanian, Gaysi Digital Editor talks about inspiration behind the collaboration with Tinder on the Queer Made Weekend. Gaysi Family, a media platform and safe space for queer desis, has been a platform for sharing stories and experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community across South Asia. The Queer Made Weekend is an extension of their mission, which aims to elevate queer-owned businesses and artists.
Here, Tejaswi shares insights on the event's impact, highlights, and future aspirations. Gaysi Family has been collaborating with Tinder India for a while now on various projects addressing the LGBTQIA+ community in India. In 2020, during the pandemic-induced lockdowns, several queer folx were affected and had begun small online-based businesses to make ends meet.
As part of its Pride Month activation, Tinder India collaborated with Gaysi Family to launch Queer Made, an online marketplace made up of small queer-owned businesses and creators. It was platformed by Little Black Book, and all logistics related to the online marketplace were taken care of by Tinder India. Gaysi Family’s own social media was used to promote the businesses.
As lockdowns lifted, the collaboration continued and the first Queer Made Weekend was hosted in Delhi, and Gaysi Family once again curated the businesses and creators for the stalls at the event, which were offered to them for free of cost. Alongside the stalls, Gaysi also curated the performances at this weekend market; the lineup was also a .
