Rainbow Dialogues: Elevating the stories of LGBTQIA+ communities in India

Explore our Rainbow Story Map to see the places our storytellers call home.

In India as in the United States, the current climate surrounding efforts to secure and protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ communities can be tense. While queerness has gradually become accepted in some parts of the country, it continues to be feared and misunderstood in others, where community members face relentless verbal and physical abuse. Many LGBTQIA+ individuals are reluctant to be visible or speak out publicly, for fear that they will be harmed or discriminated against, not only in educational and workplace settings, but within their own families.

The Rainbow Stories project is actively supporting queer communities in East and Northeast India. Led by Silence Speaks, Theater Alliance, and Bridge India, Rainbow Stories has created a unique participatory storytelling methodology that supports queer individuals in critically analyzing media representations and exploring their own unique forms of creative expression through collage, performance, and film making. Community building activities woven through the workshop process serve to spark connection, enhance wellbeing, and create networks of social support among participating storytellers. The videos created in our two workshops held thus far are being circulated via social media and in small, in-person gatherings, to increase awareness of the challenges experienced by LGBTQIA+ communities in home, school, and workplace settings, and advocate for queer rights across India. View selected examples below and find more on our YouTube channel.

 

Special thanks to the U.S. Embassy New Delhi, India, for supporting this effort.

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