While June is globally recognised as Pride Month, the conversations around it do not end with the month. Marking Disability Pride Month, July draws attention to the community that continues to navigate barriers of accessibility, visibility, and acceptance. Tying these conversations together was Pride Palooza 2026, organised by Queer Casting at Goethe-Institut on Saturday. The day began with an energetic parai and karagattam performance by DC Squad, followed by a dance performance by Chef Sujithra. The curtain-raiser performances laid the foundation of the festival — celebrating talent and creating a space for conversations on identity, representation, and rights.
Interacting with CE, Negha, founder of Queer Casting, said the seeds of Pride Palooza were sown through personal experiences. Despite becoming the first trans woman recipient of the Kerala State Award for acting, she found that recognition did little to change the industry’s attitude towards trans artists. “I thought my life would change and that it would open doors for both myself and my community. But the struggle remained exactly the same as it had been before,” she said. Negha stirred the discussion with directors, of not getting an opportunity in the industry, she heard a unanimous answer: trans persons lack the necessary skills. That instead motivated her and her partner, Rizwan Bharathi, to establish Queer Casting, an organisation that conducts acting, theatre, and writing workshops for trans and queer individuals. But a challenge emerged — finding a platform where these talent could be seen.
“People with disabilities — as well as trans and queer individuals — exist within every community. We decided to include them and host this event in July. Pride Palooza was launched specifically to showcase their talents. Our main goal was to ensure true inclusivity,” said Negha.
That spirit of inclusivity spread across each segment of the festival. Having introduced wheelchair accessibility in previous editions after feedback from attendees, this year’s festival also featured sign language interpretation.
Moving past the rhythmic beats, the panel discussion, The Road Ahead for Trans Rights, brought together lawyer Kanmani, activists Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli and Maghzchi, community leaders Sunil Mohan and Rakshika Raj to discuss the recently introduced Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, among others. The panellists examined concerns surrounding mandatory reporting to medical boards, spoke about the long-standing demand for horizontal reservation, and the ground realities.
Moving from policy to performance, the festival showcased Stride, a short film exploring the intersection of disability and trans identity, alongside a one-minute short film competition centred on disability, mental health, and trans and queer lives. Students from Tamil Nadu Model Schools staged performances including bommalattam and silambam, while drag artiste Pelvis Press Lee and the Queer Casting theatre production Train Kadai added further layers to the event.
Awards and felicitations honoured members of the community, including celebrity hairstylist Jenifer, Tamil Nadu’s first transman physical education teacher Vaibhav Maran, community leader Sunil Mohan and others whose contributions have expanded representation.
Running parallel to the performances was ‘Thirunar Vazhviyal’, a photography exhibition by Rizwan Bharathi that invited audiences into the lives of trans people. It consciously moved away from narratives that reduce trans lives to suffering alone.
Explaining the themes of the exhibition, Rizwan added, “I want to show my people very happily, unlike a typical documentary showing sadness. Though sadness is a part, it is not the entire life. Beyond that, there is love within us. There is closeness. There is a chosen family. No matter how progressive things seem, we still have to fight for our rights.”
The exhibition documented community protests, Pride Walk, chosen families, theatre workshops, transgender couples, and milestones of individuals such as the appointment of Tamil Nadu’s first transman physical education teacher. For Rizwan, the photographs were less about documentation and more about reclaiming authorship. He said, “The rights, the way of life, the politics, and every aspect of our people’s existence need to reach everyone. We have brought this forward so that you become aware that people like us live here, too.”
For Negha, that commitment extends beyond the festival. She concluded, “The very existence of trans and queer people is questioned in ways that dehumanise us. By calling everyone, making them sit together, and doing it through art, it reaches them. We want people to understand the problem and stand up and say this is human rights too.”