Queen Casting (QC) is a Art based non profitable volunteer initiative in India which was founded by Negha Shahin and Rizwan Bharathi. [1] [2] [3]
Abbreviation | QC |
---|---|
Founder | Negha Shahin And Rizwan Bharathi |
Founded at | Tamil Nadu, India |
Purpose | Advocacy, Media Visibility and Rights for Queer And Trans Individuals, Skill Development |
Headquarters | Tamil Nadu, India |
Region | India |
Queer Casting was founded by Negha and Rizwan (Trans Couple), a notable queer and transgender activists In Tamil Nadu. Negha Shahin who created history by becoming the first trans woman to win the debut actor award at the 52nd Kerala State Film Awards. Rizwan Bharathi is co - author of Love is Love and [4] [5]
Queer Casting was established to promote inclusivity in the entertainment industry and has been at the forefront of India's trans and queer rights movement. The organization advocates for the rights and awareness of transgender and queer individuals, and enhances their professional experience through various workshops
Negha and Rizwan have been vocal in demanding Media portrayal of LGBT people by developing skill and creating employment in media industry for trans and queer individual. In Mass media in India still tends to follow stereotypical paths, often overlooking the transgender and queer community. [6]
In September 2023, the inaugural QC workshop was successfully completed with participation from over 18 transgender and queer individuals. They gained valuable field knowledge from directors Mysskin and Sasikumar alongside various other directors and actors [7] [8]
In June 2024, observed worldwide as Pride Month, Queer Casting hosted an event called "Pride Palooza" in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This event's organized by a trans couple, featured a keynote of first southern trans men panel discussion in India and the 106th performance of A. Revathi's play "Vellai Mozhi," an award ceremony with several other activities [9] [10]
Manasellam is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Santhosh. Produced by V. Ravichandran, it stars Srikanth and Trisha, while Cochin Haneefa plays a major supporting role. The film was released on 20 March 2003 and failed at the box office.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Tamil Nadu are the most progressive among all states of India. Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to introduce a transgender welfare policy, wherein transgender individuals can access free gender affirmation surgery in government hospitals and various other benefits and rights. The state was also the first to ban forced sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants, and also the first state to include an amendment in its state police guidelines that expects officers to abstain from harassing the LGBTQIA+ community and its members. The state also became the first to ban conversion therapy as well as the first to introduce LGBTQIA+ issues in school curricula.
Throughout the year, different organizations host pride parades in Nepal. Blue Diamond Society, an LGBT rights organization, in 2010 organized Gai Jatra Gay March, with most participants on masks to prevent being identified by suspected homophobic people. In recent years, many pride parades in different times of the years have been organized. Due to criticism of Blue Diamond Society for organizing pride parade in Gaijatra festival many organizations deviated into new rallies. All the parades by Blue Diamond Society have coincided with the Gaijatra festival. The parades end with a candle-light vigil in memories of those who died in the past year, promoting equality for all.
India has a long and ancient tradition of culture associated with the LGBTQ community, with many aspects that differ markedly from modern liberal western culture.
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).
Orinam is a non-funded, social, and activist collective that works to enhance understanding of alternate sexualities and gender identities among families, communities and society. It was founded in 2003 in Chennai under the name MovenPick and is one of the oldest collective of its kind in India. People affiliated with Orinam are from or trace their ancestry to the following geo-cultural: People of Tamil Origin from Tamil Nadu, India. Orinam provides a platform for creative expression, personal and social commentary by Queer people of Tamil Origin and of Indian Origin primarily. Orinam also acts as a local support group in Chennai for the queer community. Orinam also partners with the city-, state- and national initiatives around decriminalisation of homosexuality by amending Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and LGBTQ rights.
The Chennai Rainbow Pride March has been held by members of Tamil Nadu LGBTIQA+ communities every June since 2009. The pride march is organised under the banner Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition, which is a collective of LGBT individuals, supporters, and organizations working on human rights and healthcare for the LGBTQIA community. The Pride March occurs on the final Sunday of June every year. The Pride March is usually preceded by a month-long series of events organized by NGOs and organizations to inculcate awareness and support for the LGBTQ community, such as panel discussions, film screenings, and cultural performances. The Chennai Vaanavil Suyamariyadhai Perani a.k.a. Chennai Rainbow Self-Respect March is known for being inter-sectional in nature as it addresses issues with multiple axes such as caste, class, religion coupled with gender discrimination.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Kerala face legal and social difficulties not experienced by non-LGBT persons. However, Kerala has been at the forefront of LGBT issues in India after Tamil Nadu. It became one of the first states in India to establish a welfare policy for the transgender community and in 2016, proposed implementing free gender affirmation surgery through government hospitals. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 2018, following the Supreme Court ruling in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India. In addition, numerous LGBT-related events have been held across Kerala, including in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. However, there is also increasing opposition to LGBT rights recently as evidenced by the anti-LGBT campaigns spearheaded by meninist groups and Muslim organisations like Indian Union Muslim League, Samastha and Jamaat-e-Islami.
Grace Banu is an Indian software engineer who is a Dalit and transgender activist. She was the first transgender person to be admitted to an engineering college in the state of Tamil Nadu. She lives in the Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu.
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Chennai International Queer Film Festival is a three-day LGBT- event that usually takes places on the last weekend of July as a part of the city's pride events. The main organizers are SAATHII and Orinam in partnership with Goethe-Institut, Chennai. The other volunteers include various community groups and NGOs, including Nirangal, East-West Center for Counselling, and RIOV. The last day is usually performances along with a panel discussion, usually to discuss and bring out the challenges faced by community members.
Tamil sexual minorities are Tamil people who do not conform to heterosexual gender norms. They may identify as LGBTQIA. It has been estimated that India has a population of 2.5 million homosexuals, though not all of them are Tamil, and not all Tamils live in India.
The following list is a partially completed compilation of events considered to have a profound effect on the welfare or image of Tamil sexual minorities. The use of bold typeface indicates that the event is widely considered to be landmark:
Queer Chennai Chronicles, also known as QCC is an Indian LGBT literary organization that aims to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer literature through programs that encourage development of aspiring writers and through annual Queer LitFest, Chennai.
London Trans+ Pride is a pride march advocating transgender rights held in London, England, United Kingdom.
Negha Shahin (born 1993) is an Indian trans actress. Negha Shahin, who created history by becoming the first trans woman to win the debut actor award at the 52nd Kerala State Film Awards. She was born in Tamil Nadu, India.
Kanna Ravi is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil language films. After making his film debut in the Tamil film Veera (2018), he has been in films including Kaithi (2019) and Rathasaatchi (2022).
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Angel Glady is an Indian trans woman prominent activist, educator, and theatre artist from Tamil Nadu, where she was born and raised. She is best known for her advocacy work in the LGBTQ+ community and her contributions to the arts, particularly through theatre. She made history by becoming the first trans woman to pursue a master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Madras
Syed Subahan is an Indian playback singer, actor, and live performer. He is best known for winning Airtel Super Singer 4who has worked predominantly in the Tamil Films industry. A leading actor of Tamil cinema, a star with his first film, the 2017 action Veruli, He played further action roles in Weapon