CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Chay Magazine, a new publication on Pakistani sexuality

Kyla Pasha, a Lahore-based blogger and educator who's contributed to SAJAforum (here and here), and Sarah Suhail have started Chay Magazine, an online publication meant to further discussion of sex and sexuality in Pakistani society. They're looking for writers from around the world who can help normalize topics that are otherwise considered off-limits. Here's their mission statement, which they recently sent out:

Having observed in Pakistani society, a disturbing tendency towards fear and shame around issues of sex and sexuality - that is to say, around a normal human interaction - the founders of Chay Magazine feel that sex and sexuality should enter the public discourse. The taboo and silence around sex and sexuality are oppressive on all of us, irrespective of gender, and lead, at the very least, to unhappiness in our daily lives and, more often, to violence, shame, depression, ill health and general social malaise. We at Chay Magazine endeavor to bring to the Pakistani reading public a place to converse about those things we are most shy of. Our hope is that, through this, we can become braver and stronger, more powerful, self-assured, and just and fair members of society.

Our focus is on Pakistani society and our themes emerge from this context. However, Pakistan is only our starting point. Chay Magazine aims to enter the fray of international feminist discourse and, as such, we invite writers of all nationalities, geographies, stripes to contribute. We are not so much interested in where you come from as in what you have to say.

By the way: Chay can't pay. But the editors are looking for 500-1000 word feature articles, poetry and fiction, and artwork. Here are some of their areas of interest:

Let’s Talk about Sex

• Talking about sex and sexuality – why do it, the taboos around it, the problems with it, the silences
• Sex/Gender, gender roles and gender identity
• Talking about sex and romance
• Standards of “moral” conduct relating to sex

The Politics of Sex

• Sex-positivity
• Sex and feminism in Pakistan
• The politics of shame
• Religion and sex(uality)
• Visions for a new Pakistani Feminism

Marriage

• Sex: enjoyment, coercion, guilt, force
• Sex and marriage
• Domestic violence and rape
• Virginity

Promiscuity

• Saying no and saying yes
• “Sluts” and “whores”
• Sex-work
• Religion and Sex
• Virginity
• Re-appropriating language

The first issue should be up this fall. Kyla told me they're getting a good number of submissions, "many of them queer or related to alternative sexualities." If you're wondering, by the way, why it's called Chay, as did someone at Muslimah Media Watch, here's a rather provocative explanation.

Muslimah also had an interesting and heated debate about the very issues Chay seeks to explore:

One commenter, Anonymous, asked "why should we respect people who are involved in sinful and haraam activity and seek to legitimise it? should we not hate the sin ?"

To which  another commenter, Zeynab, responded, "Anonymous, please read our comment moderation policy. It's not up to us to decide what others do is a sin; it's up to Allah only. Just because we don't like something someone does doesn't mean we should treat them with any less respect: all of Allah's creatures (whatever their sexuality) deserve respect."

That kind of got to a third commenter, Safiya Outlines, who wrote,

"Salaam Alaikum,

Anonymous has a point. We don't have to guess what is sinful behaviour or not, Allah subhana wat'ala made it clear. That's the purpose of receiving revelation.

Pulling out the 'comment moderation policy' in response is clear example of how this site stifles the voices of conservation commentators.

This prompted Arianne to write: "Muslims are already hated enough by Western conservatives. Do you really want Western liberals to now hate Muslims because they can't support the rights of a persecuted minority taking part in a victimless "crime?" Good job at making friends."

Read the rest of the discussion at Muslimah Media Watch.

All questions and submissions for Chay Magazine should be sent to: chaymagazine[at]gmail.com