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Sahodari, our community-based organization working for transgender rights in Chennai, with the support from Indian Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS (INP+) organized a seminar with Tamil media on LGBT issues on August 3, 2009 between 10.00am - 1.30 pm in Hotel Country Inn & Suites, Egmore, Chennai. The objective of the meeting was to address and sensitize the Tamil media on gender and sexuality issues of LGBT community in Tamil Nadu.
It was a very important seminar and we had planned much ahead and had worked carefully. We did not miss to invite any media. Representatives from the Tami newspapers, television channels, fm radios, weekly and monthly magazines - all were there. The SunTv and Kalignar Tv journalists were absent though we had invited them.
Our seminar opened up with the introduction on the subject follwed by the introduction of special guests and special invitees. Our special guest were Mr.Pramod and Mrs.Anusuya from TANSACS and the special invitees were Aniruddhan, Chennai based LGBT activist from Sakthi Center, Philanthropist and writer Charu Nivthitha, and Lawyers Angeline and Sudha Ramalingam, and Ms.Magdalene Jayaratnam from Center for Counselling. Unfortunately Magdalene and Angeline could not be present for the seminar.
While I and Priya spoke on Transgender/Transsexual issues, Aniruddhan was brilliant in his speech and presentation on gay issues. Charu was wonderful in his references on Indian history and added a lot of humor to his speech. He spoke on bisexuality and had not missed to answer the media person's questions. We recommended terminologies to be used while writing about LGBT people. I and Priya prepared a reference book in Tamil on LGBT issues. Charu released the book and Ms.Anusuya got it from Charu.
Clearly, the Tamil media representatives had gotten all the answers about the LGBT community, our struggles and issues and their asked (and unasked) questions and doubts were definitely answered. The next day's edition of the Tamil newspapers Dinakaran and Dinathanthi's news story on the seminar had terminologies like 'Oru paal eerpukondavargal' and 'Thirunangaigal', dignified way of referring to gays and transsexual women. Clearly the seminar was a success. Thanks to all the journalists and media representatives who participated in the seminar.
INP+ will support us to do another seminar, in Coimbatore, in September. This will be a seminar for Tamil/English/Malayalam press. I am planning ahead. I am grateful to INP+ for their great support in promoting our LGBT rights advocacy work. INP+'s Murali had been coordinating with us in a very good way. We continue to work together.
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