Chennai | Prakriti Foundation begins Pride Month celebrations with a mix of poetry and fashion

The month of June is closely tied to a history of dissent and identity.

Members of the LGBTQIA+ community have subverted the narrative of traumatic events in the history of queer marginalisation, to establish a month where the community speaks loudly and celebrates its identity with panache.

Prakriti Foundation shares this sense of building a community. The organisation kicks off Pride Month this year with a poetry reading session, panel discussion and a transgender fashion show at Alliance Francaise of Madras on June 9.

“Identity is at the core of arts, literature and performance,” says Ranvir Shah, founder-trustee of Prakriti Foundation. “It is hence natural that we are allies.”

The evening will begin with a poetry reading session in English by Bengaluru-based poet and independent writer Joshua Muyiwa, who works on stories around art, culture, race and sexuality. Alongside him, model, teacher and writer of Virkaadha Vaanam, Agni Pradeep, will be speaking about her life and work in understanding gender-fluidity through verse in Tamil.

A panel discussion by Jaydeep Sarkar, the director of the series Rainbow Rishta, actor Negha, and L Ramakrishnan of queer collectives like Orinam and SAATHI, will discuss the portrayal of queer people in mainstream media.

While Negha, the first trans woman to win the debut actor award at the 52nd Kerala State Film Awards, will speak about the opportunities available to trans actors, Ramakrishnan will talk about the role of non-government organisations (NGOs) in the assistance of creating policy and aid during crisis intervention. Director Jaydeep will speak about the story behind the making of Rainbow Rishta, a series widely regarded for its accurate portrayal of queer relationships.

This will be followed by a queer fashion show by members from Sahodaran, one of the oldest community-based collectives for the LGBTQIA+ community, in the city.

Although this is Prakriti Foundation’s first such pride event, Shah says that they have spotlit several queer authors before through their events on resistance poetry, dance and art. He adds that they are hoping for several other conversations on inclusivity in the future.

Harish Subramanian, programme coordinator, Prakriti, says that a conscious decision was made to ensure that local talent which speaks in the mother tongue, Tamil, , is present at this queer festival. he adds, “We are also hoping to end the night with a celebratory dance through a DJ session.”

Pride with Prakriti is on June 9 from 6pm at Alliance Francaise of Madras, 24, College Road, Nungambakkam. Entry is free.