Hyderabad: For the first time,Numaishhas astallrun by the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgenderand queer) community. The stall, sponsored by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will have a trans man,queerwomen and trans women selling soaps, jute bags and clothes.The initiative was taken up by the Queer Bandhu Parents’ Association in the city in an attempt to provide livelihood options to queer persons and reduce stigma.“I am elated that my wife (Sonam) and I could get this opportunity as we want to visibilise queer relationships and trans identities. The very fact that we are here, selling the products we made ourselves is proof that we are not lazy, inefficient as society often projects us to be,” said Kiran Raj, a trans man. While he works as a state coordinator for transgender persons help desk with the government, he will also be selling organic soaps in the stall alongside his queer wife.Another stall is that of jute bags, set up by Nandini Padala, a trans woman from Medchal. “Prior to this, I was just sitting at home with no livelihood options. I hope to expand this into a full-fledged business with support from well-wishers,” said the 38-year-old.Mala Mukunda, who leads the Queer Bandhu Parents’ Association, says this effort will help de-stigmatise queer communities. “For the last two to three years we are attempting to rehabilitate queer and trans-persons into mainstream jobs so they are not forced to go back into begging and sex work. The stall at Numaish will help visibilise their efforts and hopefully fetch them more orders and work,” said Mala, who started the association to support other parents with queer children.Meanwhile, the Board of Intermediate has also set up a special stall in the Numaish exhibition on various vocational and short-time courses.We also published the following articles recently
If you are telling queer stories, you must involve queer people: Trinetra Haldar GummarajuTrinetra Haldar Gummaraju criticizes the portrayal of queer characters in Hindi cinema, noting that they are often depicted as objects of ridicule and fear. She emphasizes the need for a shift in representation to combat the jokes made at the expense of the LGBTQIA community. Trinetra also discusses the lack of a queer gaze in filmmaking and the limited funding for queer storylines. She advocates for more authentic portrayals by casting trans actors and providing training opportunities for queer performers.
Weekend extravaganza draws massive crowds at NumaishThe 83rd edition of the All India Industrial Exhibition, popularly known as Numaish, at Nampally exhibition grounds experienced a surge in visitors during its first weekend. On Sunday, a massive crowd filled the lanes leading to the exhibition, totalling nearly 50,000 visitors by 10 pm. The exhibition, open until 11 pm on weekends, usually attracts 25,000 to 35,000 visitors on regular days and double that number on weekdays.
Mexico president calls trans lawmaker ‘man dressed as a woman’, apologisesMexico President apologises for misgendering Salma Luevano, a transgender representative of his political party, after referring to her as a “man dressed as a woman”. Luevano is one of the first trans people to become a lawmaker and was greeted by Obrador with a kiss on the cheek at an event.
