Alternate sexual ways in Bombay: a rapid assessment

R. Oostvogels

During a period of eight days -from 22 to 30 March 1991- the scientist made field visits to places where homosexually active men in Bombay meet for sex and social contact. The objective of this assessment was not to count numbers of homosexually active men or the frequency of risky sexual encounters, but to develop an understanding of how men structure their social and homosexual life.The report contains two major sections: the first is a description of the general situation regarding homosexuality in India (with examples from Bombay), the second part is a more specific description of the gay and homosexual meeting places in Bombay. Two annexes have been added to the report: one is a list of meeting places, the other is a report on the abduction of the researcher and his companions at Mohamed Ali Road, which illustrates vividly the pressure under which homosexuals in Bombay live.