Five days of immersive storytelling workshops at American Center, Kolkata, culminated in a conclave on Voices of Diversity — Action for Inclusion.
The conclave hosted by the US consulate general was part of the Rainbow Dialogues — “All in this Together” project in partnership with StoryCentre, a US-based non-profit organisation. The project was held in partnership with local non-profits Prodigal’s Home and BRIDGE.
Ten LGBTQIA+ activists and participants from seven eastern and northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha came together to share their personal stories and expressed their voices through short videos.
The panellists promoted social acceptance, inclusion and employment opportunities for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Official Press Release
The panellists promoted social acceptance, inclusion and employment opportunities for LGBTQIA+ individuals. On the panel were Anway Mukopadhyay, assistant professor, department of humanities and social sciences, IIT Kharagpur; Debika Guha, officiating principal and professor of Loreto College; Kushal Roy, employer at Deloitte; Shanto Bakshi, parent of a LGBTQIA+ child and a humanitarian professional and equal rights advocate; and Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri, bureau chief of IANS, Kolkata.
BRIDGE India director Prithviraj Nath shared a presentation on evidence from seven project states that included findings and insights from the first state-level advocacy under Rainbow Dialogues: All in this Together project that had been implemented in seven states. The findings and insights are based on a survey of over a thousand respondents from the LGBTQIA+ community, 200+ employers, educators and service providers across the seven states.
Speaking at the conclave, Elizabeth Lee, the director of American Center, said: “Building support for and protecting universal human rights is at the very heart of our diplomacy, and we remain committed to advancing human rights for all, with a special focus on LGBTQI+ individuals. Since 2018, our Rainbow Dialogues project has provided a safe space for LGBTQI+ community members to discuss issues related to inclusive society, generating employment and helping build a strong alliance across South Asia for LGBTQIA+ people. Dovetailing on a strong US support, this conclave seeks to empower LGBTQI+ individuals who are advocates for inclusive educational and training opportunities as well as safe public spaces.”
A participant throws a poser to the panellists Official Press Release
Amy Hill, the director of Silence Speaks, Story Centre, USA, said: “At a time when trans rights in the US are under fire, StoryCenter and Theater Alliance are proud to be standing in solidarity with queer and trans communities in India, supporting them in building community and sharing stories for advocacy."
The US Consulate, Kolkata, works all year round on projects aimed at supporting inclusion and acceptance of all communities at the American Center.