CHENNAI: Finding a community where you feel like you belong, drawing strength from each other’s struggles, and celebrating small victories are more important for some than for others. Members of Orinam, a Chennai-based LGBTIQ support group, met for the first time on Saturday, nine months after the lockdown was enforced in March. It was also the group’s 17th anniversary.
About 30 members, including those from other districts and countries, gathered at the ICSA Programme Centre in Egmore while a few others joined the group virtually. Most of them were people who benefitted from the work of Orinam.
Shanma (name changed), a transwoman, could barely contain her excitement as she told the gathering that her mother had bought her a saree as soon as the lockdown ended, a sign of acceptance after years of her struggle. For some others, the stories were not as happy — from dealing with the death of loved ones to Covid-19, to job losses, to the mental-health upheaval that the lockdown brought.
“The Pride March really gets me going. I throw myself into organising and working on it. When it was cancelled this June, I was lost. Meeting my community was a very important part of my life and I had to learn to live without it,” said Priya (name changed). Pride Month celebrations and the Rainbow Pride March in Chennai were cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the lockdown.
The meeting also saw parents of those belonging to the LGBTIQ community trying to seek help in understanding their children better. “My daughter opened up to me about being confused regarding her sexuality. She was in mental agony. Coming from a traditional family, I had nowhere to turn for advice.
So I came here, hoping to understand my daughter better and help her in whatever way I can,” said Durga (name changed). Ram, a volunteer with Orinam, said, “There is no substitute for in-person meetings. So much can be conveyed. It’s also a place to share energy and stories of shared struggles and triumphs.”
Advice for parents of LGBTIQ children
At the meeting, Parents of those belonging to the LGBTIQ community sought help in understanding their children. “(My daughter) was in mental agony. Coming from a traditional family, I had nowhere to turn for advice. So I came here, hoping to understand my daughter better and help her in whatever way I can,” said Durga (name changed)