Hues may vary, but humanity does not
Inspired by these words of Tamil poet Mahakavi Subrahmania Bharathi, we celebrate the essential humanity of all, across differences of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Please join us to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots, which ignited the fight for civil rights by and for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered (LGBT) people around the world. Chennai Pride lends local visibility to our voices, cultures and struggles.
June 5th, Friday, 6.30 pm, Alliance Francaise Auditorium, College Road
Amour, a multimedia Bharata Nathyam dance performance by Shanmugha Sundaram, produced by Sathir Natya and sponsored by Alliance Francaise of Madras and SAATHII. Ode to the famous French sculptor and painter Rodin, Amour celebrates the right of all people to express their love regardless of sexual orientation or gender.
*Entrance Free
June 20th, Saturday, 5.30 pm,"Spaces," # 1 Elliots Beach Road, Besant Nagar
Please join The Shakti Center and Human Rights Watch for cultural performances and a discussion on colonial origins and everyday impact of sodomy laws.
More than 80 countries around the world criminalize consensual homosexual conduct. More than half of these countries have these laws because they were once British colonies. Human Rights Watch's report, “This Alien Legacy: The Origins of 'Sodomy' Laws in British Colonialism,” details the ways in which the British “sodomy” law spread across vast stretches of the erstwhile British empire. Section 377, integrated into the Indian Penal Code in 1860, was the first colonial sodomy law to be introduced into a penal code. These laws violate individuals' fundamental human rights, contravene international human rights standards, place individuals at increased risk of violence and discrimination, and often also contradict longstanding cultural attitudes towards homosexuality. Ironically, several postcolonial states have claimed this colonial legacy as reflecting “authentic” national traditions. Join our panelists as they discuss sexual regulation laws in India and their effects on marginalized communities.
Invocation and Karagam performance: Kavya, Sahodaran
Panel Discussion:
Kalki: transgender rights activist, Sahodari Foundation
Magdalene Jeyaratnam: Director, Center for Counselling, Chennai
Mangai: Theater activist, Chennai
Sudha Ramalingam: Lawyer and human rights advocate, Chennai
Alok Gupta: Lawyer and Activist, Mumbai
Dipika Nath: Researcher, LGBT Rights Program, Human Rights Watch
Sumathi Murthy: Musician, works with Sangama, Bangalore
Sunil Menon: LGBT rights activist, Sahodaran, Chennai
Cultural Program:
- Performance: Kalki and Srijith
- Musical Chairs: a play by LesBiT, Bangalore, a support group for Lesbians, Bisexual women and Transgenders
- Dance Performance: Chennai-based Teja
- Film-based dance performance: Sahodaran troupe. Sahodaran is a male-sexual-health project, addressing MSM and TG in Chennai and Pondicherry since 1998
*Entrance Free
For more information, contact Aniruddh
June 22nd, Monday, 6.30 pm, South Indian Film Chamber Theatre, Anna Salai
Screening of Milk, as part of the South Indian Film Chamber's Oscar Film Festival, in association with the US Consulate.
June 26th, Friday, 4 pm, Center for Counselling, Radhakrishnan Salai
Support Group Meeting for parents and siblings of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Chennai. Facilitated by Center for Counselling, a non-profit organization, the meeting will provide a supportive and confidential space where parents and siblings can ask questions, get factual information, and most importantly, meet other parents who are struggling to cope with similar issues relating to their adult children.
*Entrance is free, but restricted to parents, siblings and LGBT individuals. Please RSVP your interest in attending to + 91-9884100135 or magdalene.jeyarathnam@gmail.com
June 28nd, Sunday, 4 pm Marina Beach from the Triumph of Labour statue to the Mahatma Gandhi statue.
Pride March: Join the Chennai Rainbow Coalition of individuals and organizations consisting of Lesbian, Gay, Kothi, Aravani, Bisexual, Trans folks and Straight allies as we march in Chennai to celebrate June as Pride Month.
For more information, contact Sangama, Chennai. Click here for media release.
Photo Bengaluru Pride courtesy OneWorld.net
Chennai Pride events are supported by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals, straight allies including families and friends; and a host of community groups and progressive non-governmental organizations including Sahodaran, Sangama, Lotus Sangam, Center for Counselling, Shakti Center, Sahodari Foundation, South India AIDS Action Programme (SIAAP), Solidarity and Action Against The HIV Infection in India (SAATHII), Nalamdana, Social Welfare Association for Men (SWAM), South India Positive Network (SIP+), Alliance Francaise of Madras, Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), Youth for Social Change, Corporate Accountability Desk, and Human Rights Watch (HRW).
If your organization would like to add its name to this list as a supporter, please email orinamwebber@gmail.com
 |
 |
|
