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
1986: Screening of My Beautiful Laundrette at British Council – same-sex love depicted on the big screen for the first time in Chennai
1993: Publication of Robert Oostvogels and Sunil Menon's mimeograph 'Men Who Have Sex With Men-Assessment of situation in Madras', prepared for the Government of Tamil Nadu
1993: Sekar Balasubramaniam, a volunteer of Community AIDS Network (CAN), comes out as gay and HIV-positive.
1998: Sahodaran, first group for sexual minorities formed in Chennai
1999: Mailing list gaychennai started on yahoogroups.com, the first listserv for the Chennai gay community
2006: Conference on thirthe d gender organised by Nalamdana
2006: Orinam.net website launched
2006: March for transgender rights when legislative assembly was in session in TN, organised by Sangama, THAA, SWAM, and other groups. Catalysed TN govt initiatives for transgender welfare.
2008: Peer-counseling preparatory workshop (4 sessions: 8 June, 15 June, 22 June, July 6) of Shakthi Resource Centre in collaboration with Sahayatrika, Sahodaran, Orinam/MP, and Lotus Sangam.
2013: Chennai Rainbow Film Festival, organised by Chennai Dost and Alliance Francaise
2013: Reel Desires: Chennai International Queer Film Festival, organised by a collective of groups - Orinam, Goethe-Institut, RIOV, Nirangal, SAATHII, East-West Center for Counselling, Shakthi Resource Centre, Oye!Chennai
2013: Nirangal registered as an NGO (formerly Sangama Chennai)
2014: Christians Against Homophobia started in response to Christians Against Homosexuality. Mailing list goes national.
2014: Madras High Court ruling on 17 April 2014 'Jackuline Mary vs. The Superintendent of Police, Karur' cites NALSA April 2014 verdict to grant recognition to a police constable's right to self-identify as a woman and condemns physical/medical testing.
2014: Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition formed
2014: First book on Genderqueer in Tamil and first Tamil book on LGBTQIA from Srishti Madurai was released by BJP's state general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan at the 6th Hindu spiritual service foundation's sixth service fair, Chennai[5][6][7]
2016: Queer and Allies Art Festival (QAAF) performances in Chennai, organised by MIST, 8 May
2016: LGBT activists hola d candlelight vigil in Chennai for Orlando victims [10]
2016: Personal narrative of C Moulee, a techie and columnist from Chennai published his story on starting LGBT emplthe oyee networkthe in workplace and about being gay in workplace.[11] The article brought more awareness on being LGBT in Indian workplace. In August 2016, C Moulee was featured in India Today's article – The Game Changers - on people inspiring change in the city of Chennai in India.[12][13]
2016: Panel discussion exploring the intersections between violence against women and violence targeting LGBTIQA+ communities at fourth edition of Reel Desires, Chennai International Queer Film Festival 2016.
2017: LGBT Workplace — Expanding the Dialogue in India - event that brought together employers, employees and activists to address challenges faced by the LGBTIQ community.[14][15]
2017: The Gabrielle Show – Chennai's First Ever Drag Show [16]
2017: Community gathering and discussion on Online Safety and Harassment[17] held as part of Chennai Rainbow Pride month
2017: First-of-its-kind Tamil Lesbian Anthem - A part of a documentary titled "Ladies and Gentlewomen".[18]
2017: Launch of Queer Chennai Chronicles. An Independent Queer publishing house to chronicle LGBTQ lives in Chennai and to promote Queer writings in Tamil and English.[19]
2018: Release of first Vidupattavai (விடுபட்டவை), first Tamil novella written by an out Queer man. The book was co-published by Queer Chennai Chronicles and Karuppu Pradhigal and was released in the 41st Chennai Book Fair on 20 January 2018. The book was released by Tamil writer and actor Shobasakthi[20][21]
2018: India's first Queer LitFest was organised by Queer Chennai Chronicles on 7 July 2018.[22][23]
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]