Love's Rite

Love's Rite
By Ruth Vanita
Cover design and illustration
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There have been numerous young, non-english-speaking female couples in India that got married by religious rites, and in highly tragic situations commited joint suicide which they considered being 'married in death'. Love's Rite is the first book-length study of same-sex unions in India. It celebrates the unsung pioneers and martyrs of the struggle of marriage equality.
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Love triumphs and love ultimately wins, but love is not easy, at all. History shows us that the LGBTQIA+ community in India has faced a lot of stigma, prejudice and social, interpersonal disapproval. Working on this cover, I kept going back and forth between the disorienting past and the equally harsh reality. I feel tremendously privileged to have had the opportunity to create a cover for the book that made history. Illustrating this celebratory moment of pure love reminded me to have faith in the power of love. Thank you Ruth Vanita (@ruth.vanita) and Richa (@richburm) for trusting me with this.