The Transgender and LGBTQ community is one of the worst affected sections of the population amid the coronavirus pandemic and the slowdown of economic activities across the world. In a country like India where most members of the transgender and LGBTQ community face widespread economic disparities, social exploitation and absence of economic policies that address their financial concerns, and thus their anxieties and worries have only amplified over the months.
Thus the pandemic and the coming of the lockdown has impacted the community in India quite adversely.
But as a step to extend support and aid to the community and especially to the underprivileged and daily wage workers from the community, a fund-raising festival had been organised by Sangama.
This was a two-day online festival called ‘Sangama ePride.’ Sangama is an organisation that works for the wellbeing of the transgender and LGBTQ community and operates from Bengaluru.
The festival was held from June 12-14 and featured many content creators from the LGBTQ community like Rani KoHenur, Shiva Raichandani, Raheem Mir and NABI among many others. These diverse content creators belonged to diverse feeds such as music, art, theatre, yoga and dance.
This was a measure taken to bring together influencers from the LGBTQ community and raise funds and support work for underprivileged members of the community and organise relief work for them in Karnataka.
The festival had been started in 1999. The organisation has been constantly trying to bring into the public discourse, an open-ended and dialogic assertion of sexuality, diverse sexual preferences and gender identity.
The organisation has been closely working on the issues surrounding health, livelihood and rights of members from the transgender community.
The organisation claims to have helped over 5,800 sex workers and transgender people in Karnataka in April and May.
