Madras has always been known as a hub of the arts and cultural activities. But has the city, with its legendary conservatism, embraced the rainbow of queer identities and cultures? To discuss this, an hour-long online discussion ‘Nam Madras kadhai pesalam: Arts, Colour, Queerness and Madras’ was organized on Aug 28, 2020.

The panel discussion was curated by Muhilann Murugan on behalf of Nam veedu, Nam oor, Nam kadhai,  a local social history initiative of archictects and artists conceived by Thirupurasundari Sevvel in 2013. The focus of the discussion was on the involvement and contributions of queer and trans communities to Madras culture, social history and life. It featured filmmaker Malini Jeevarathnam, photographer Harish Subramanian, artist Gokuleshwaran, and activists Jaya and Ramakrishnan. As the discussion proceeded, artist Srishti deftly transformed the content of the discussion to the sketch, reproduced above with permission.

View the video below:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Nam Madras kadhai pesalam : Arts, Colour, Queerness and Madras . As we all know, Madras has always been known as a hub of the arts and cultural activities. But has the city, with its legendary conservatism, embraced the rainbow of queer identities and cultures? . With @muhilann_ @sarcastic_saroja @hush_o.o_ @gokuleshwaran @sahodaranchennai Jaya ma @lramakrishnan.insta . Thank you so much @madhavchitra for the sketch Thank you so much @kaushikbn for the quote Thank you so much @unsaid_dezires for the Kavithais . On this Madras day, we celebrate the queer side of the city with a panel discussion on the city’s queer arts, activism and culture scene. The focus will be on the involvement and contributions of queer and trans communities to Madras culture, social history and life. Date: 28th August 2020 Time: 6-7 PM Celebrate Art, Colour, Queerness, Madras and much more. #madrasinspired #madraspride #chennairainbowpride #namlocal #madrasheritage #personalhistory #madrasmag #namlocal #31daysofmadrasinspired #namchennai #nammachennai #engaoorumadras #heritage #socialhistory #nammadras #suyamariyathai_perani #madras_social_history_group #madras_life #teastories #nammadras #nampride #namveedunamoornamkadhai #nvok #nam #namveedu #namoor #namkadhai #madrasinspired #madrasstory

A post shared by Nam Veedu Nam Oor Nam Kadhai (@namveedu_namoor_namkadhai) on Sep 2, 2020 at 5:30am PDT

Muhilann Murugan (@muhilann_) is an architect, artist, volunteer with the Madras Literary Society, Nam veedu, Nam oor, Nam kadhai, and Orinam.

Srishti (@anchoredhues_) has been painting for the last 18 years. She has learnt over 35+ styles of drawing and painting from various artists and experiments on her own. She creates artwork that showcase strong ideas of colour. Her passion project explores the different connections between colours and the city.

View the discussion (English, Tanglish)  below.

Resource centre for Youth Mental Health by SCARF is an inclusive space for youth from different walks of life. Orinam is an all unregistered collective of LGBTIQA+ people and allies based in Chennai,Tamil Nadu. It functions as a support, cultural, and activist space.

Suhavana- Clinical Psychologist, SCARF
Dwarak – Mental Health Counsellor
Mujeebur Rahman – from Orinam
Namithaa – Gender and Sexuality Educator

Resource Center for Youth Mental health by SCARF – on Instagram @ryms_scarf
rYMs Email : ryms@scarfindia.org
SCARF : 044 2615 1073
SCARF COVID HELPLINE : +91 7305928515
Email: info@scarfindia.org
Website http://www.scarfindia.org/

This talk was part of ‘TransForm: Transgender Rights and Law‘ conference, organized by the Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR),  on December 14-15, 2016, and held at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bengaluru.

Orinam thanks Gee for consent to share this on Orinam, and CLPR for making this available in the public domain (see TransForm site for links to other talks).

Click to llisten:

I entered the hall just when Vikram Sundarraman was introducing the panel and the discussion began. Dr.Kalpana Karunakaran led the talk with her insights on how it all began with man’s need to brand and establish his ownership not only over property but also on his kin and how it acted as a root cause for the advent of casteism and the numerous rotten rules imposed based on gender. This brief on patriarchy was an eye- opener, because it had never occurred to me that the reasons for some of the issues we face now are buried deeply in our society’s past. With that came the realization that it was not going to be easy for one to usher in a positive change. Difficult but not impossible.

Then it was the turn of our very own Ramki, who effortlessly transported us from the ancient India to a modern and hi-fi genetics lab where he discussed the commonly used arguments against homosexuality. Yes, you guessed it right, the “unnatural” word. He not only brought up a lot of examples to demonstrate how natural and widely prevalent homosexuality is among non-human vertebrate species. He also summarized the various arguments used in the past and present to disparage homosexuality. Some of these arguments are based on religious proscriptions, and others on limited or false understanding of the science. He conclude by pointing out that arguments rooted in biology/genetics are neither necessary nor sufficient to make the case for equal rights for all, regardless of sexuality or gender identity.

Then there was Mr.Ravi  with arguments that could silence anyone who opposes LGBT equality in the name of religion. He cited various archaic religious texts which are not only clearly out dated and ludicrous in the present day context but also how they contain contradicting statements in themselves. Right from Manusmriti, the Vedas to the Christian scriptures, this man hardly left any stone unturned. He presented two approaches one could take to address homophobia grounded in religion: a confrontational attitude pointing out the ridiculousness of other religious strictures, or a conciliatory approach that draws on scriptural statements about love, compassion and respect for humanity.

Following him was Ms. Poongkhulali, who presented the most realistic picture of the legal battle surrounding Section 377 of the IPC. She compared the judgements of the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court on the subject matter in 2009 and 2013,  respectively, summarized the review petitions and potential legal steps ahead. She candidly pointed out the flaws in the legal reasoning, the callous way in which the Supreme Court overlooked the genuine reasons behind the review petititions and ignored the pleas of the LGBT supporters. It appeared, she said, that the Supreme Court had  made up its mind to uphold 377, and later made up flimsy reasons to back up its decision. ‘

Then Ms. Shambhavi shifted the focus of the discusion from battling with the legal system to battles we fight within our families. Everytime I try to answer my friends’ questions about how am I going deal with my family when I have to come out to them, I am simply branded selfish and inconsiderate of others’ feelings. The way Shambhavi sensitively dealt with that topic put forward her justifications was very mature. She also spoke about alternative systems in place of patriarchal families.

The five course meal was not all: there were many amuse-bouches too. By this, I refer to the insightful questions by the audience. Several questions were raised on hetero-normative roles, sex education, LGBT in politics, the possible implications of decriminalizing consensual sexual acts.  Each question brought in a different perspective on the topic. And the occasional funny comment to ease the mood was like a sip of a lemon chiller.

This event was the first time I had come across a large group of people who were not necessarily members of the LGBT community, but were refreshingly open to the views, justifications and opinions of the community. Usually when this topic is raised among my friends and colleagues, I tend to use personal arguments to make my case for equality. Following this panel, I now have tons of arguments – be they science or religion,  social or legal.

I am determined to not stay silent ever again in a place where I feel the need to voice out for the cause. The next time I do so it would be not only for me but for my entire community. I strongly believe if these numbers of supporters can be amplified, then the courts have no alternative but to listen to our plea. Thanks to Chennai Freethinkers, its amicable volunteers, their wonderful hospitality and for jointly organizing this event with the Orinam group.

And about the Orinam group, this was the first time I had closely interacted with a group of LGBT activists and am glad it was with Orinam that I started. Every member was a delight to talk to, and the spirit and knowledge each member brought to the group was remarkable. The informative interactions, not to forget the sense of humour, are truly the hallmark of the group, and I am looking forward to be a part of many more events.  Bon appetit!

Video below, courtesy Chennai Freethinkers [see errata**]:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xLsZ6u0SMU

** Errata:

About: Thinkfest is the annual programme organized by Chennai Freethinkers, a regional group of Nirmukta, during which science popularizers, humanists and freethought activists are invited to share their ideas with the general public. The panel was enabled by Vikram Sundarraman, who describes himself as “someone who has questioned both gender and is religion for a long time and now passionately involved in promoting LGBT rights and freethinking.” The speakers were members and friends of Orinam, an organization working for the cause of LGBT rights.

The panel included:
• Dr. Kalpana Karunakaran, who has worked in the areas of gender, health and microcredit, and teaches in the Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Madras
• Poongkhulali B., an advocate practicing in the various courts in Madras
• Shambhavi, a volunteer with Orinam, based in Chennai
• Ravichander R. who works in an NGO providing education to under-privileged children
• Dr. L Ramakrishnan, a public health professional, biologist, and LGBT rights advocate from Chennai

This report was originally posted on movenpick, the mailing list of the Orinam collective, and has also been cross-posted on the Nirmukta site.

“I’m trying to build a culture of compassion, understanding, and of service. I’m trying to build a culture of questioning the status quo.”

Inspiring words by Shivanee Sen, a young teacher I recently met at the Tagore International School in Delhi, where Sen is mentoring the first student-led campaign in India to address LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex) issues. In the U.S., Sen’s student group would be called a GSA (Gay Straight Alliance), but in India, it’s more like a revolution.

In just a little under six months, Sen has mobilized an energetic group of over 50 students to address issues of gender and sexuality in education and politics. What they have done in a short amount of time is more than what most established GSA’s in the U.S. do in years.

Called Breaking Barriers, Sen started her groundbreaking group during a conversation with her high school students about gender. Her initial goal was to inspire students to care about intersex individuals as well as the hijras, a community of transgender women, who are marginalized both socially and economically. Her initial goal was to inspire students to care about the hijras, a community of transgender women in India who are marginalized both socially and economically. What started as a discussion topic has turned into a national campaign that has gained the attention of the Indian media across the country.

What’s utterly remarkable is that Sen’s students have taken on work that is usually done by experienced activists. For example, last summer, all of her students trained with one of the leading feminist human rights groups in India, CREA, dedicating six weeks worth of weekends to learn about queer issues and activism. Each of these intense workshops lasted about three to four hours each and taught students the various nuances of Kinsey sexology, current LGBT terminology, and misconceptions about the queer community.

“Over the course of six weeks, not a single student missed a workshop,” Sen said.

After completing their training, students then led LGBTQI inclusion and awareness workshops for their entire high school faculty of teachers and fellow students at Tagore. The trainings have gone successfully, especially in terms of breaking down misconceptions. As part of their education and awareness work, the students hope to deliver these workshops in other schools across India.

Prior to the trainings, there were some teachers and students at Tagore who associated homosexuality with bestiality, disease, and immorality. Further, there were some who believed that homosexuality was a “Western” import.

A solidly middle class community, Tagore parents are mostly in the business sector. When students met with me to discuss their activist work, they shared a mix of reactions when I asked them how their own parents would feel if one of them were to come out.

“My parents would accept me,” one student said.

“My parents would wonder if [LGBTQI people] would have a bad influence,” another said.

The trainings that the students have created for their teachers and peers include an extensive PowerPoint with definitions, graphs, and resources. Students have also participated in a powerful video made by CREA; participated in the Delhi Pride March last November; and protested against the recent restoring of the Indian Penal Code Sec. 377, which criminalizes homosexuality.

The group also has an active Facebook page that is regularly updated by the students with encouraging postings about queer activism both in India and abroad. They even have their own student media team that is creating a feature documentary about their work, a sneak peak of which can be seen here. A possible student radio show is also in the works.

As a result of their work, the Global Educational and Leadership Foundation crowned the Breaking Barriers team with their National Youth Leaders title after an intensive search for high school students doing the best grassroots social work in India.

Doing grassroots work is not usual for middle class Indian students who, like many American middle class students, are sometimes very much removed from not just radical organizing but activist work in general.

Indeed, part of what motivated Sen to start this group was to move middle class Indian students away from “resume-building” and instead towards being committed to social justice from a genuine place of compassion and care.

Over a cup of chai in Delhi, Sen confessed, “Americans do more service than Indians do, and India needs its citizens to do a lot more service.” A Berkeley graduate with a psychology degree, Sen has her sights on a masters program at Teachers College, Columbia in New York.

“Along every metric, LGBTQI people suffer more in terms of harassment, assault, and suicide. Of course, I wanted my students to learn about these issues, especially since in India, no one talks about it,” she added.

During my own two-hour conversation with the students, it was my goal to learn directly from them what they were getting out of the experience of being a part of Breaking Barriers. Why did they join? What keeps them committed? I wanted to know.

Students shared that they felt most proud of changing the school climate in relation to talking about queer issues, albeit slowly.

“Our friends all know that if they are about to say something homophobic, that we will pounce on them,” one student said.

Even with a changing climate at this particular school, coming out in India is still a challenge for young people.

“There are no out students at the school, at least not publicly,” Sen said. “Our campaign has brought about a change in terms of people not wanting to say ‘that’s gay’ anymore. The campaign has made everyone more PC [politically correct].”

Being more PC is a start, but it’s not enough, and Tagore students know that. Understanding the root causes of homophobia and transphobia is the next step. Creating safe and inclusive schools with education and awareness workshops consistently and over the course of time is part of that work as well.

Creating a leadership path for the next group of Tagore students to lead workshops for upcoming classes is also essential. Indeed, in my time with them, I shared with students that their work needs to be passed on to those who are younger than they are.

“One day, you will graduate, and the next group of students will need to learn what you have all learned to continue the work you have started. In schools, this work is never-ending,” I said.

Even the principal, Madhulika Sen, is committed to continuing this project. Completely fearless in her approach to LGBTQI inclusion in schools, Sen told me that she never even thought about the repercussions from the parent body.

“We didn’t even think about the parents’ reactions. We just thought this was the right thing to do,” she said.

While it helps that Madhulika is Shivanee’s mother and that the school was founded in 1972 by Shivanee’s grandmother, Dr. Hari Sen, taking on queer issues in a school steeped in family history hardly seems like the usual route for a traditional school, especially in India.

I think that’s why I’m particularly rooting for Tagore. The family piece makes me cheer them on all the more. It’s not just that a passionate group of students are leading workshops and marching in the streets. It’s also that it’s a family affair that’s committed to social justice of all kinds, regardless of what some parents might think. It’s the right thing to do, as Madhulika, the principal, says.

If a school like Tagore—which is K-12 and in the heart of Delhi—can address these issues, then schools around the world can do this work too. As the younger Sen, Shivanee, says, it’s all about building a culture that questions the status quo.

This piece originally appeared on Feb 28, 2014, on the FeministTeacher blog with the title  Exclusive: First GSA in India Speaks to Feminist Teacher, Ileana Jiménez.

Part I: Introduction and first part of Ashok Desai’s talk

Part II: Second and concluding part of Ashok Desai’s talk

Part III: First part of Shyam Diwan’s talk

Part IV: Second and concluding part of Shyam Diwan’s talk

Part V: Menaka Guruswamy

Part VI: Arvind Narrain

Part VII: Q&A Session

*Speaker biographies:
Ashok Desai, Senior Advocate and former Attorney General for India. He has argued several landmark constitutional law cases in his professional career spanning over six decades. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2001.

Shyam Divan, Senior Advocate, is a distinguished counsel with many years of practice before the High Court of Bombay and the Supreme Court. He has been involved in many important constitutional law cases and his written extensively on environmental law in India.

Menaka Guruswamy practices law at the Supreme Court of India. She has been involved in a number of key constitutional law cases including on administrative reform and encounter killings. She has written extensively on constitutional law and the Supreme Court. She has taught at Columbia Law School and New York University School of Law.

Arvind Narrain is a human rights activist and lawyer with the Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore, of which he is a founder member. He is the author of Queer: Despised Sexuality, Law and Social Change (2004) and co-editor of Because I have a Voice: Queer Politics in India (2005).

To undo justice, and to seek
To quash the rights that guard the weak –
To sneer at love, and wrench apart
The bonds of body, mind and heart
With specious reason and no rhyme:
This is the true unnatural crime.

Listen to the poem by Vikram Seth

Poem circulated after Supreme Court’s rejection of the review petitions on Jan 28, 2014.

“Any person, publication or channel may use, disseminate or publish this poem/recording freely without permission from the author.” – Vikram Seth

Audio courtesy FirstPost.com

On August 11, 1992, AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan (ABVA) staged the first known protest against police harassment of LGBT people in India, The protest was against police raids that targeted men cruising for men in Central Park, Connaught Place in New Delhi. The protest was held at the police headquarters in the ITO area of Delhi.

ABVA was, in 1991, the first organization to challenge Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. For more information, read  its historic publication ‘Less Than Gay: A Citizen’s Report’ [link here]

View the interview with Shumona Khanna – then a law student – in which she discusses the early-1990s activism of which Siddharth Gautam, founder of ABVA, and the Lawyers’ Collective were an integral part.

In 1996, Vimal Balasubrahmanyan wrote an article in Economic and Political Weekly summarizing much of this history. Read this article here.

Thanks to Mario d’Penha for sharing the newspaper clipping with LGBT-India, and for consent to republish it on Orinam.

In this short film, Nakshatra uses curtains as a metaphor for the insecurity and fear many young LGBT people remain shrouded in, and suggests that the process of coming out can bring with it relief and freedom from many of these fears. Curtains premiered at Kashish: Mumbai International Queer Film Festival in May 2013.

Nakshatra Bagwe (born on December 11, 1990) is a Mumbai-based filmmaker and actor. His short films are a hit with young gay audiences, whose lives he depicts in his work. His award-winning debut, Logging Out, screened at Kashish 2012, as well as in Chennai, New York, and London. It was also a part of Queer India European tour 2012 to raise awareness about LGBT issues in the Indian context.

Read GaysiFamily’s interview with Nakshatra here.

Nakshatra believes in the power of emotions to help him connect with his viewers, and in the precedence of content over capital-intensive production. Further, in his own words, “I believe we need to reach out to that huge section of people who need to be made aware about homosexuality, and not just those who go to film festivals. My film-making is based on this principle; my films are and will always be easily available to ANYONE on this planet!”

In full support of Nakshatra’s philosophy, we at Orinam are pleased to bring you Curtains below:

A Hindi version of Curtains may be viewed here.