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Chennai has LGBTQIA cultures that are diverse concerning- socio-economic class, gender, and degree of visibility and politicisation. They have historically existed in the margins and surfaced primarily in contexts such as transgender activism and HIV prevention initiatives for men having sex with men (MSM) and trans women (TG).[ citation needed]

List of organizations

Community development may be traced back to Sunil Menon's mapping of sexual networks among MSM and TG in the early 1990s [1] and the subsequent formation of Sathe Honduran, the oldest group of its kind in the city and state to provide spaces for community support and sexual health, primarily for working-class MSM who visit public cruising spots.

There are currently over 15 groups in Chennai that work on LGBTQIA+ issues. [2] Most of them are community-run initiatives, and some are NGOs.

Most of these groups are part of the informal Chennai Rainbow Coalition, formed in 2009, to jointly work towards visibility and advocacy. [3] The group was expanded in 2014 to constitute the Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition, with membership from groups around the state.

Research

Chennai has two research institutes that partner with community groups to conduct social science and biomedical research on LGBTQIA+ issues. The Centre for Sexuality and Health Research and Policy has published extensively on issues such as stigma and discrimination faced within the healthcare system by MSM and trans women, legal recognition of transgender identity, and other issues. The National Institute for Research on Tuberculosis (NIRT), in partnership with the community group Sahodaran and Harvard University School of Public Health carries out studies of mental health and HIV prevention] among men who have sex with men.

Significant Events in Chennai's LGBTQIA+ history

LGBT workplace symposium

In May 2017, Chennai saw an event that brought together employers, employees and activists to discuss the challenges faced by the queer (LGBTIQ) community at work places. This LGBT workplace symposium, titled LGBT Workplace — Expanding the Dialogue in India, was hosted by RELX in association with the Amsterdam-based Workplace Pride Foundation and the Bengaluru-based Solidarity Foundation, with Orinam and Community Business as community partners. [24]

Few of the panellists were Michiel Kolman, a senior vice president at Elsevier, Parmesh Shahani, head of Godrej India Culture Labs, Sunil Menon, founder of NGO Sahodaran, lawyer Poongkhulali Balasubramanian, Ritesh Rajani, an openly gay HR diversity professional, and also journalist Lavanya Narayan. [25] [26] [27]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The world through the eyes of a gay person". Rediff. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Chennai Pride Organizations". www.orinam.net. 18 May 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  3. ^ Menon, Sunil (9 June 2012). "Gay pride month is here". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Chennai Dost". Chennai Dost. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  5. ^ "It's a great honour to be awarded for book on gender variants: Gopi Shankar". The Times of India. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  6. ^ http://www.asianage.com/india/bjp-supports-tn-leader-book-lgbt-157 [ bare URL]
  7. ^ "BJP leader launches LGBT rights book in TN".
  8. ^ "Rainbow Film Fest Returns to Town". Archived from the original on 13 December 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  9. ^ "RSS flip-flop on homosexuality indicates gay men in India remain in exile, writes Ashok Row Kavi". 19 March 2016.
  10. ^ "LGBT activists hold candlelight vigil in Chennai for Orlando victims". www.tamilnadulgbtiq.in. Archived from the original on 19 June 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  11. ^ "Making One Cubicle Safe at a Time: A Gay Man's Fight in India". 3 June 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Hues of Change". Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  13. ^ "India's Game Changer". Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  14. ^ Kamini Mathail (23 May 2017). "LGBT community symposium seeks a level playing field at workplace". TOI. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  15. ^ Michiel Kolman (13 June 2017). "Symposium spotlights LGBT workplace inclusion in India". Elsevier. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  16. ^ Abinaya Kalyanasundaram (17 May 2017). "Ain't nothing wrong with being a drag!". New Indian Express. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  17. ^ "Chennai Pride's guide to handle online harassment for the LGBTQIA+ -". 16 June 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  18. ^ M Suganth (31 March 2017). "This Lesbian Anthem sings a tune of change". TOI. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  19. ^ "About Queer Chennai Chronicles". Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  20. ^ "Release of Vidupattavai". Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  21. ^ "ஒழுக்கங்களுக்கு இடையில்..." The Hindu Tamil (in Tamil). Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  22. ^ "Chennai's 1st queer lit fest to focus on Tamil writing". The Times of India. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  23. ^ "India's First Queer LitFest in Chennai Provided a Platform to Queer Writers and Artists in the Margins". Gaylaxy Magazine. 12 November 2018.
  24. ^ "LGBT community symposium seeks a level playing field at workplace". The Times of India. 23 May 2017.
  25. ^ Caraccio, Camilla (19 June 2017). "Pride at Work". The Hindu.
  26. ^ "'Coming out' and excluded".
  27. ^ Caraccio, Camilla (6 June 2017). "Pride at Work". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
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