CHENNAI: As we celebrate Madras month, the question of how far has the it come in accommodating its queer population remains. At the Queering Madras event, organised by Madras Musings at Residency Towers, T Nagar, four panelists came together to discuss the strides and struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community in Chennai.
The discussion was moderated by entrepreneur and art collector Jaiveer Johal. L Ramakrishnan, an advocate for queer and trans rights, provided a historical perspective, taking the audience back to the mid-1980s when queer visibility in Chennai was nearly non existent. He read out an essay titled ‘Queer Madras’ from that era, which described the city’s queer culture as subtle yet pervasive.
“True, if you scout the city with the eye of an amateur ornithologist looking for a distinct subspecies called the homosexual, you are likely to conclude that it’s a rare bird or at least an elusive one. There are no bars or yuppified clubs in whose smoky recesses gay-identified men gather for an evening of dancing or cruising. Then again, Madras is hardly as exuberant as Bombay or Bangalore to begin with,” he read. He also reminisced about a pivotal moment in 1986 when the British Council in Chennai organised a screening of My Beautiful Launderette by Hanif Kureishi. The film’s explicit depiction of a gay relationship shocked the audience, leading to a few attendees leaving. “From that time to now, we’ve seen a sea of change,” Ramakrishnan observed, noting the key milestones such as the increase of HIV in Chennai in 1986 and the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2018.
Meera Sundararajan, a social development professional with a background in policy, recalled how the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s forced policymakers to acknowledge the existence of the queer community. This marked the beginning of a shift in public discourse, from viewing queer identities through a purely medical lens to recognising their rights and needs as individuals. “Tamil Nadu is one of the few states working on an LGBTQIA+ policy,” she said, underscoring the significance of this initiative in ensuring the community’s rights and needs are acknowledged.
Personal reflections
Fred Rogers, a trans and queer-affirmative counselor, shared his journey of navigating identity in a traditional Tamil Brahmin family. He said,“There were a few people who saw me for who I was. But coming out was never easy because it is not a one-time thing.” Despite the progress made in terms of awareness and acceptance, he emphasised one has to be resilient in the face of societal pressures while coming out.
He also shared the personal story of his children’s acceptance and understanding of queer identities and reflected on the progress being made at the individual level, despite systemic challenges. “We are human beings first, our identities come next,” he stressed.
Jaya, a trans activist and general manager of Sahodaran, an organisation that has been working for the LGBTQIA+ community in Chennai for over 25 years, shared her own experiences of discovering her identity and finding a sense of belonging. “I met lots of people like me and the availability of safe spaces encouraged the community to grow,” she said. However, she also pointed out that there is still a lack of safe physical spaces in Chennai where the community can gather.
The discussion also touched upon the common misconceptions about the queer community that fails to acknowledge the existence and activism of queer individuals across all socio-economic backgrounds. The panelists emphasised the need for more inclusive representation in discussions about queer identities. Another concern was school bullying and the challenges of sex education. The discussion also mentioned that a study by UNESCO revealed that over 90% of LGBTQIA+ students report being bullied by both peers and teachers. The difficulty in addressing queer identities in schools is compounded by the broader issue of inadequate sex education, which often avoids discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity. Jaiveer, asked, “How do we talk about the community without talking about sex? How do we talk about alternative sexual identities?”
While there is progress, the panelists reminded that pride is always and will be a protest.