Rainbow Awards

Last updated
The Rainbow Awards
Current: 2nd Rainbow Awards
Rainbow Awards India.png
Awarded forExemplary affirmative work about the lives of sexual and gender minorities.
VenueRainbow Lit Fest
Country India
Presented byDwijen Dinanath Arts Foundation
Eligibility Indians, encompassing the Persons of Indian Origin as well as Overseas Citizens of India.
First awardedDecember 10, 2023;7 months ago (2023-12-10)
Website therainbowawards.in

The Rainbow Awards are awards presented by Dwijen Dinanath Arts Foundation of India to recognize exemplary affirmative work about the lives of sexual and gender minorities in India. [1] [2]

Contents

The awards are exclusively for Indians, encompassing the Persons of Indian Origin as well as Overseas Citizens of India. [1] [2]

History

Sharif D Rangnekar, a former journalist, communications consultant and writer, founded Rainbow Awards. Recognizing the insufficient representation of sexual and gender minorities in mainstream awards, Rangnekar aimed to amplify their voices and ensure acknowledgment without confining them to rigid genres. Rangnekar emphasized the significance of ensuring the representation of diverse voices within sexual and gender minorities, particularly in India, given the varied cultural backgrounds and experiences of community members. Rangnekar stated that these as reason for establishment of Rainbow Awards. [3] [4]

Categories

As of 2023, the following categories are awarded.

Lifetime

Literature

Journalism

Entry process

The awards are exclusively for Indians, encompassing the persons of Indian origin as well as overseas citizens of India. [2]

In the literature category, publishers have the option to nominate a maximum of two entries per sub-category for consideration. For self-published books, authors can directly nominate up to one entry for consideration. [2]

In the journalism category, both digital and print media organizations, along with digital platforms that prioritize views and opinions over news, are eligible to nominate a maximum of two entries. Likewise, freelance writers have the opportunity to nominate up to two entries for consideration. [2]

Selection process

The jury members are chosen and announced before the commencement of the entry process. The jury excludes any patrons, advisors, partners, or employees of the Dwijen Dinanath Arts Foundation and its affiliate, Rainbow Lit Fest.

The juries evaluate the submissions and decide on the award winners. They invest approximately four months in reviewing the submissions, engaging in discussions among themselves to compile a long list. If a long list exists, it will be made public. The jury then proceeds with their assessments to create a shortlist, which is also released to the public. The jury further refines their evaluation to choose the winner, whose announcement takes place during the award ceremony. [2]

Winners

Lifetime

Lifetime Achievement Award
YearWinnerBiographyRef.
2023 Hoshang Merchant A Hyderabad-based poet and professor best known for his anthology Yaraana. [5] [4]

Literature

Fiction of the Year
YearWinnerWorkRef.
2023 Niladri R. ChatterjeeEntering the Maze: Queer Fiction of Krishnagopal Mallick. [6] [4]
2024 TBATBA
Non-fiction of the Year
YearWinnerWorkRef.
2023 Maya SharmaFootprints of a Queer History: Life-Stories from Gujarat. [7] [4]
2024 TBATBA

Journalism

Feature of the Year
YearWinnerWorkRef.
2023 Akhil KangBrahmin Men Who Love to Eat A** [8] [4]
2024 TBATBA
Op-Ed of the Year
YearWinnerWorkRef.
2023 Chittajit MitraQueering Translation: Locating Queerness in Indian Languages. [9] [4]
2024 TBATBA

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulitzer Prize</span> Award for achievements in journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States

The Pulitzer Prizes are two-dozen annual awards given by Columbia University in New York for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters." They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fortune as a newspaper publisher.

<i>Queer</i> Umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or not cisgender

Queer is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or are not cisgender. Originally meaning 'strange' or 'peculiar', queer came to be used pejoratively against LGBT people in the late 19th century. Beginning in the late 1980s, queer activists, such as the members of Queer Nation, began to reclaim the word as a deliberately provocative and politically radical alternative to the more assimilationist branches of the LGBT community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures</span> Variety of communities and subcultures

Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of people who have shared experiences, backgrounds, or interests due to common sexual or gender identities. Among the first to argue that members of sexual minorities can also constitute cultural minorities were Adolf Brand, Magnus Hirschfeld, and Leontine Sagan in Germany. These pioneers were later followed by the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stonewall Book Award</span> LGBT literary award

The Stonewall Book Award is a set of three literary awards that annually recognize "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience" in English-language books published in the U.S. They are sponsored by the Rainbow Round Table (RRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) and have been part of the American Library Association awards program, now termed ALA Book, Print & Media Awards, since 1986 as the single Gay Book Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GLAAD Media Award</span> Award for LGBT representation in media

The GLAAD Media Award is a US accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives. In addition to film and television, the Awards also recognize achievements in other branches of the media and arts, including theatre, music, journalism and advertising.

Humsafar Trust is an NGO in Mumbai that promotes LGBT rights. Founded by Ashok Row Kavi, Suhail Abbasi, and Sridhar Rangayan in 1994, it is one of the largest and most active of such organisations in India. It provides counselling, advocacy and healthcare to LGBT communities and has helped reduce violence, discrimination and stigma against them. Humsafar Trust is the convenor member of Integrated Network for Sexual Minorities (INFOSEM).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anjali Gopalan</span> Indian human rights and animal rights activist

Anjali Gopalan is an Indian human rights and animal rights activist. She is the founder and executive director of The Naz Foundation (India) Trust, an NGO initially established to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India. Gopalan began working on issues related to HIV/AIDS and marginalized communities in the United States.

Gaylaxy is an Indian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) magazine. The magazine is based in Kolkata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libraries and the LGBT community</span> Library services to the LGBT community

In the post-Stonewall era, the role of libraries in providing information and services to LGBTQ individuals has been a topic of discussion among library professionals. Libraries can often play an important role for LGBTQ individuals looking to find information about coming out, health, and family topics, as well as leisure reading. In the past 50 years, advocate organizations for LGBTQ content in libraries have emerged, and numerous theorists have discussed various aspects of LGBTQ library service including privacy concerns, programming, collection development considerations and librarian/staff education needs, as well as special services for juvenile and teen patrons.

This is a timeline of notable events in the history of non-heterosexual conforming people of South Asian ancestry, who may identify as LGBTIQGNC, men who have sex with men, or related culturally-specific identities such as Hijra, Aravani, Thirunangaigal, Khwajasara, Kothi, Thirunambigal, Jogappa, Jogatha, or Shiva Shakti. The recorded history traces back at least two millennia.

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good As You</span>

Good As You is a support and social group for LGBT people and others questioning their gender and sexuality in Bangalore. It started in 1994 and is one of the longest surviving groups that advocates equal rights for homosexuals and other gender and sexual minorities in Bangalore.

Queerala, a registered community-based Organisation (CBO) for Malayali LGBTIQ people, gives adequate support to Malayali persons who belong to the sexual and gender minorities. Queerala originally started in May 2013 as a secret Facebook page where closeted LGBTQAI+ community members met online. Since its start of operations, Queerala has been an active platform for the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community in Kerala and India and focuses on various awareness campaigns on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity/Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC). Queerala's representatives have been marking its presence, in areas of literature, art, cultural spaces, and academic discourses as well as conducting case studies on issues pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity. They also focus on sensitization on SOGIESC inclusive healthcare services, educational curriculum, workplace policies and local self-governance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orinam</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalki Subramaniam</span> Activist

Kalki Subramaniam is a transgender rights activist, social worker, artist, actress, writer, inspirational speaker and entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu. She is also the southern region representative and member of the National Council for Transgender Persons 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:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rima Das</span> Indian filmmaker

Rima Das is an Indian filmmaker best known for her 2017 film Village Rockstars, which won several national and international awards and became India's official entry for the 90th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Chosen out of 28 other entries in India, it was also the first Assamese film to be submitted for Oscars. The film won India's National Award for Best Film and Best Editor.

Bisexual literature is a subgenre of LGBT literature that includes literary works and authors that address the topic of bisexuality or biromanticism. This includes characters, plot lines, and/or themes portraying bisexual behavior in both men and women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Rainbow Awards</span>

The 1st Rainbow Awards ceremony was held at Rainbow Lit Fest, Gulmohar Park, New Delhi on 10 December 2023. It celebrated writers from 1 January 2022 and journalists from 1 June 2022, both until 31 May 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Scroll Staff (25 May 2023). "Inaugural Rainbow Awards to honour queer literature and journalism". Scroll.in.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Criteria & Process for Entries". Rainbow Awards. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023.
  3. "The Rainbow Awards for Literature and Journalism will celebrate queer-inclusive writing in India". Vogue India. 26 December 2023. Archived from the original on 26 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sharma, Saurabh (11 December 2023). "Rainbow Lit Fest 2023: Winners of the inaugural Rainbow Awards for Literature and Journalism announced". Moneycontrol. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023.
  5. Nanisetti, Serish (10 September 2018). "'Homosexuality is endemic where capitalism thrives,' says Hoshang Merchant". The Hindu. thehindu.com.
  6. Mallick, Krishnagopal (2023). Entering the maze: queer fiction of Krishnagopal Mallick. Translated by Chatterjee, Niladri R. New Delhi: Niyogi Books. ISBN   978-93-91125-90-5.
  7. Sharma, Maya (2022). Footprints of a queer history: life-stories from Gujarat. New Delhi, India: Yoda Press. ISBN   9789382579359. OCLC   1347785526.
  8. Kang, Akhil (5 January 2023). "Brahmin Men who love to Eat A**". Decolonizing Sexualities Network. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023.
  9. Mitra, Chittajit (2022-09-29). "Essay: Queering translation: Locating queerness in Indian languages". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09.