Hyderabad: Started by three students, Satya, Abhi Tam and Sai Teja, Queer Campus Hyderabad, a support group for the gay community in the city, has come a long way. The trio was the first to organise a LGBT fair, was part of the Twin City TheatRE and Cultural Festival, held a Queer sensitisation stall at Seva Mela and most recently, organised LGBT Monologues at Lamakaan.
“Last month we heard reports of attacks on some transgenders in the city and were moved by their plight. It was then that we decided to do something,” says Satya.
“The monologue was given by Pritham K. Chakravarthy based on her 2007 documentary Our Family. Around 60 people turned up even though it was raining. We received a good response.”
Queer Campus Hyderabad will soon celebrate its first anniversary on July 21. Even though the past year has given them the much-needed breakthrough, Satya shares how they also had to ward off criticism.
“We haven’t faced threats, but Sai was bullied at the hostel he was staying at earlier. When the press started covering his involvement with Queer Campus, his friends came to know and started troubling him. He then had to move out. Also, when we had taken part in the Seva Mela, people came up to us and said ‘homosexuality is wrong’, ‘it’s not part of our Indian culture’.”
