Social acceptance is what every individual or community looks forward to. To be persecuted by a society on the basis of your choices is simply unfair and this has unfortunately been the fate of the LGBTQ community in India.
With archaic laws operating still, the voice for abolishment of Section 377 of the IPC, that labels the community members as criminals, will never be stifled.
In a mission to help make the LGBTQ folk feel comfortable in their skin without looking for approval all the time, a group of friends started a cafe named Amra Odhbuth, which means ‘we are queer’ in Bengali, in Kolkata for the city’s queer community.
The creative space started operating this January from a renovated house by Upasana, a queer activist; Nandini Moitra, also a queer activist; Raina Roy, a veteran trans activist; Pritam Bhaumik, a writer and an artist along with 17-year-old Abhimanyu.
Renting a space at exorbitant prices was a no-no, so Nandini suggested an old family home close to Jadavpur University. The group made all the repairs themselves with limited resources.
Events at the cafe include performances, film screenings, and showcasing queer artists, entrepreneurs and performers.
“We are also thinking of this as a space for LGBTQ people to work from when they want to get away from home and a collective of LGBTQ and feminist artists who believe in trying alternative forms of art and engaging with relevant political, personal issues,” said Upasana.
(With inputs from Better India)
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