Gaylaxy
Trademark
UnclaimedGaylaxy is an Indian LGBT magazine and digital publication based in Kolkata.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Gaylaxy is an Indian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender publication founded in 2010 by Sukhdeep Singh. It began as a magazine created by a small group of friends and contacts while Singh was still studying for a BTech degree at the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad. The first issue appeared in January 2010, during a period of major change in the legal and public discussion of homosexuality in India. The publication was established to provide community-focused reporting, personal storytelling, cultural criticism and practical information at a time when mainstream coverage of LGBT lives was limited and often shaped by stigma. The publication initially appeared monthly and later moved to a bimonthly schedule between 2011 and 2013. Its issues were distributed online without charge, helping it reach readers beyond its Kolkata base. After the Supreme Court decision in December 2013 that effectively restored the criminalisation of consensual same-sex activity under Section 377, Gaylaxy expanded its Hindi-language work. Gaylaxy Hindi was intended to make queer writing and information more accessible to readers outside English-speaking urban circles and to challenge the idea that Indian queer activism was merely an imported or elite phenomenon. Sachin Jain joined Singh in developing this Hindi-focused effort. Gaylaxy's editorial scope has included LGBT news from India and other countries, legal and political developments, pride and film-festival coverage, interviews, relationship guidance, sexual-health and safety information, film and literature reviews, fiction, poetry, tarot readings, coming-out narratives and first-person accounts. Its reporting and features have addressed subjects including LGBT rights in Pakistan, anti-LGBT legislation in Uganda and Russia, California's Proposition 8, and queer movements in South Asia. The publication has also highlighted Indian non-governmental organisations working on LGBT issues, often providing contact information for readers seeking support. From 2014, Gaylaxy discontinued its PDF issues and operated primarily as a website. It also pursued mobile distribution: an application connected to the publication's website and content was released on 14 February 2014, with maintenance attributed to Apurv Gupta. The site was additionally made available through the Plash news-reading application. These changes reflected Gaylaxy's effort to move from a periodic digital magazine toward a continuously updated online publication. The publication reported an international readership, with India accounting for the largest share and additional audiences in the United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan and Canada. Gaylaxy has also functioned as an organiser and facilitator of community activities. Its activities have included seminars, workshops, awareness sessions and cultural events at educational institutions and for the wider LGBT community. Notable examples include the 2016 Breaking the Closet event, the Queer Carnival, and a Gender, Sexuality and Power workshop at Presidency University in Kolkata. Through these activities, the brand has combined journalism with advocacy, public education and community-building. Its Hindi section has published substantial queer writing and reporting, including the Indo-Pakistani gay love story 'Zero Line' by Lahore-based writer Hadi Hussain Bhatt, coverage of LGBT developments in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and material intended to support closeted people in smaller cities and towns. Gaylaxy also interviewed Bangladeshi activist Xulhaz Manan shortly before his murder by Islamic extremists. In 2015, Sachin Jain presented work connected with Gaylaxy Hindi at the Queer Asia Conference in London, and in 2016 his writing on Hindi queer literature appeared in the anthology Queer Potli. Singh's work with the publication and his wider community leadership were recognised in 2017 with the January Marie Lapuz Youth Leadership Award from Sher Vancouver. The current operating status of the publication is not established by the supplied reference material.
History
Gaylaxy was founded in India in 2010 by Sukhdeep Singh, who was then completing a BTech course at the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad. The project began with a small team largely drawn from Singh's friends and personal contacts. Its first issue was released in January 2010, shortly after a major Indian court ruling that had invalidated the colonial-era criminal provision used to prosecute consensual homosexual conduct. The publication sought to create an affirming space for LGBT reporting and community expression rather than relying on hostile or sensationalist mainstream representations. The second issue marked the introduction of Gaylaxy's website. The publication initially followed a monthly schedule and later became bimonthly from 2011 through 2013. Its issues were distributed online for free, allowing it to reach readers across India and internationally. Coverage included Indian LGBT news, global legal and political developments, pride events, film festivals, interviews, relationship advice, sexual health and safety, reviews, fiction, poetry and first-person accounts. The magazine also regularly listed Indian NGOs working on LGBT issues and included contact details intended to help readers find community or support services. The legal environment changed sharply in December 2013, when an Indian Supreme Court judgment effectively restored the criminalisation of consensual same-sex activity. In response, Gaylaxy developed a dedicated Hindi section. Sachin Jain joined Sukhdeep Singh in this effort, seeking to respond constructively to public hostility and to counter claims that queer rights were an elite or Western import. The Hindi section broadened the publication's linguistic and geographic reach and published writing connected with queer life in India and neighbouring countries. Its output included the Indo-Pakistani love story 'Zero Line' by Lahore writer Hadi Hussain Bhatt, reporting on LGBT movements in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and writing aimed at closeted people outside major metropolitan centres. In 2014 Gaylaxy moved away from PDF magazine issues and became primarily a website. The publication also released a mobile application on 14 February, maintained by Apurv Gupta, and made its content available through the Plash news-reading application. The transition reflected a broader shift from scheduled digital issues to continuously updated online publishing. Gaylaxy reported readers in several countries, with India as its largest audience and the United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan and Canada also represented. The organisation's work extended beyond publishing. It organised seminars, workshops, ceremonies, awareness programmes and campus activities. In October 2016, Breaking the Closet invited activists and audience members to discuss coming-out experiences and the social meanings attached to the closet. Gaylaxy also supported pride activities associated with students at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and the University of Delhi, with Singh speaking about coming out. Later in 2016 it organised Queer Carnival, a creative event featuring performances and poetry, and held a Gender, Sexuality and Power workshop at Presidency University in Kolkata on 15 December. The workshop used interactive exercises to examine stigma, silence and campus concerns surrounding gender and sexuality. Gaylaxy's regional orientation was also visible in its interviews and conference participation. It interviewed Bangladeshi activist Xulhaz Manan shortly before Manan and fellow activist Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy were killed by Islamic extremists. In 2015, Sachin Jain was invited to discuss Gaylaxy Hindi at the Queer Asia Conference at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. In 2016, his essay on Hindi queer writing, '(Not) His Master's Voice', appeared in the anthology Queer Potli, which examined Indian urban queer spaces. In recognition of his work with Gaylaxy and his broader LGBT leadership, Sukhdeep Singh received the January Marie Lapuz Youth Leadership Award from Sher Vancouver on 1 January 2017. The supplied reference does not establish a later ownership structure, corporate parent, financial model or definitive current operating status.
- 2017
Founder receives youth leadership award
[1]Sukhdeep Singh is recognised by Sher Vancouver for LGBT community leadership and his work with Gaylaxy.
- 2016
Community programming expands
[1]Gaylaxy organises Breaking the Closet, Queer Carnival and a university workshop on gender, sexuality and power.
- 2014
Digital publishing and mobile expansion
[1]PDF issues are discontinued, the publication becomes website-led, and a mobile app is released on 14 February.
- 2013
Hindi section established
[1]Gaylaxy launches a dedicated Hindi section after the legal reversal affecting same-sex relationships in India.
- 2011
Publication becomes bimonthly
[1]Gaylaxy changes from a monthly to a bimonthly online publication.
- 2010
Gaylaxy is founded and publishes its first issue
[1]Sukhdeep Singh establishes Gaylaxy in India and publishes the inaugural issue in January.
- 2010
Website introduced
[1]The second issue is accompanied by the launch of Gaylaxy's website.
Products and positioning
An independent Indian LGBT media and community platform combining queer journalism, personal narratives, cultural coverage, sexual-health information, advocacy and public education.
Digital magazine · 2010
Gaylaxy magazine
Gaylaxy began as a free online LGBT magazine issued monthly and later bimonthly. Its editorial mix combined news, cover features, interviews, cultural criticism, relationship guidance, sexual-health information, fiction, poetry and personal accounts. The publication focused on Indian LGBT life while also covering international legal, political and cultural developments.
Hindi-language digital publication · 2013
Gaylaxy Hindi
Gaylaxy Hindi was created to extend queer journalism and literary expression to Hindi-language readers. It published reporting, essays, fiction and personal material concerning India and South Asia, including work addressing queer communities in Pakistan and Bangladesh and the experiences of people living outside large urban centres.
Mobile application · 2014
Gaylaxy mobile application
Released in February 2014, the application connected users with Gaylaxy's website and editorial content. The app formed part of the publication's effort to make LGBT information available through mobile devices and was maintained by Apurv Gupta.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Breaking the Closet
India
A Gaylaxy-organised event in which activists and audience members shared coming-out experiences and discussed the meaning, stigma and social implications of the closet.
Outcome. The event created a public forum for personal testimony and community discussion.
- 2016Queer Carnival
India
A community cultural event where LGBT participants presented singing, dancing, poetry and other creative performances.
Outcome. The event promoted visibility and creative participation within the LGBT community.
- 2016Gender, Sexuality and Power workshop
India
An interactive workshop held at Presidency University in Kolkata on 15 December, using practical exercises to examine gender, sexuality, stigma and silence on campuses.
Outcome. The workshop aimed to encourage open discussion and reduce stigma around gender and sexuality.
Brand decisions
2014
Transition from PDF issues to website-led publishingGeneration changeBackground
After publishing free online issues, Gaylaxy pursued a more continuous digital model.
Action taken
The publication stopped issuing PDF magazines and operated primarily through its website, while also introducing a mobile application and third-party news-app distribution.
Aftermath
Gaylaxy shifted from a periodic magazine format toward ongoing web and mobile content distribution.
2013
Launch of a dedicated Hindi sectionStrategyBackground
The decision followed the effective restoration of criminal penalties for consensual same-sex activity in India and criticism of portrayals of queer rights as an elitist or foreign import.
Action taken
Gaylaxy created a Hindi section and worked with Sachin Jain to publish accessible queer reporting and writing.
Aftermath
The section broadened Gaylaxy's linguistic and regional scope and published work concerning queer life across South Asia.
Sources1 sources
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