Toward Inclusive Futures: Indian Picturebooks, Queer Theory, and the Call for Empathetic Worldbuilding

This paper examines the intersection of queer theory and Indian picturebooks for children through an analysis of The Boy in the Cupboard, Maya the Warrior, Ritu Weds Chandni, When I Grow Up, Guthli Has Wings and The Weightlifting Princess. Using José Esteban Muñoz’s concept of disidentification and Sedgwick’s insights into the depathologisation of homosexuality, the paper explores how these picturebooks actively challenge heteronormative structures, redefine gender binaries, and foreground queer narratives. Set against the backdrop of India’s evolving legal and cultural landscape following the 2018 decriminalisation of homosexuality, this paper argues that such picturebooks serve as critical tools for social transformation. They challenge exclusionary norms while offering young readers a roadmap for inclusive futures, positioning queer children’s literature as a vital site for the generation of counterpublics and collective belonging.