LGBTQ clubs of IIMs, IITs to start online gender issue series

by Lakshmi Ajay

Ahmedabad : In a first, the LGBTQ clubs of IIM-Ahmedabad and IIM-Kozhikode have come together to start a 30-day online educational series through Facebook on issues of gender identity, Section 377 and transgender people, called ‘Queer Pe Charcha’ from June 1. Aimed at spreading awareness around the LGBTQ community, it will be done in collaboration with similar groups from BITS Pilani, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Kharagpur, IIT-Gandhinagar and IISc Bangalore.

“This is the first time in India that all the big colleges are coming together and standing united for the LGBTQ+ equality,” said Himanshu Singh, who conceived the idea with Anoop Yadav of IIM- Ahmedabad over a coffee in Mumbai.

“Having already done classroom sessions in our respective colleges, we wanted to reach the larger audience and social media was just the right place. We know India is a place where sex education is always frowned upon. It becomes harder for the queers to accept themselves when the whole society enforces norms on them. And this can only be solved by education, which sometimes even the LGBTQ members are not aware of,” Himanshu added.

“While there are many LGBTQ clubs that are not recognised by college student bodies as one of their own, IIM Ally of Ahmedabad is the first formally recognized LGBTQ oriented group in any IIM,” said Anoop. At present, the IIM Ally group’s Facebook page which began just a few months ago has over 400 likes.

Source: The Indian Express

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