Bombay Dost, a pioneering magazine founded in 1990, focused on the gay community in India. In the first issue, Bombay Dost established a 'Charter' outlining its aspirations: to be a safe space for all persons of alternate sexualities, regardless of caste, creed, class, and colour. It also pledged to provide counselling, serve as a research and information centre, and connect with a network of organisations for individuals with alternative sexualities in South Asia.

We are proud to present a comprehensive digital archive of Bombay Dost issues. This archive, with its rich catalogue of information, offers a deep dive into early queer organising and activism in India. It includes some of the first critical writings on homosexuality to be publicly published in India. The magazine featured opinion pieces, reports, and editorials that disseminated information about queer politics and awareness about HIV/AIDS.

This digital archive is not just a resource but an essential tool for scholars of gender, sexuality, history, or literature researching early queer movements in India. It provides a fascinating record of the years leading up to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2009 and the transnational networks of activism and resistance that began to form from the 1990s.