NAHARLAGUN, AUG 23:
A community-driven gathering, Queers Ki Kahani – Our Voice, Our Story, organised by AP QueerStation, was held at Your Favourite Café in Naharlagun on Sunday, providing members of the LGBTQIA+ community an informal and intimate space to share stories, poetry, shayari, conversations and personal experiences.
The gathering sought to create a safe environment where queer individuals could speak openly about their lives and experiences without fear of judgement or criticism. Participants spoke about coming out, loss, rejection, lack of family and social support, abuse, mental health struggles and other challenges encountered in a largely heteronormative society.
“Queers Ki Kahani is about creating a space within our own community where we can listen to and understand each other and simply be there for one another,” the organisers said. They noted that queer people often have limited opportunities to express themselves freely and that such gatherings provide a rare opportunity to open up and be themselves.
The session was hosted by ToriqBomshok, who briefed participants on the purpose of the gathering and emphasised solidarity, respect and community support. This was followed by a welcome address by Sawang Wangchha and sharing of personal stories and experiences by community members.
The gathering also remembered community members who had died by suicide in recent months, acknowledging their lives and the grief of those who knew them.
AP QueerStation has been working to create safe and inclusive spaces for indigenous queer people and the wider LGBTQIA+ community in Arunachal Pradesh through community gatherings, advocacy, storytelling, sensitisation programmes and collective action.
Speaking on the need for queer communities to claim their spaces and rights, Wangchha said that in a deeply heteronormative society, safe spaces and rights are rarely handed to marginalised communities and must instead be created and demanded collectively.
The gathering concluded with participants expressing hope for the future and a renewed sense of community. The organisers also thanked the owners and staff of Your Favourite Café for hosting the event and for maintaining a queer-friendly and welcoming environment for members of the community.
