LGBTQIA+ activist from Arunachal attends workshop in Kolkata

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The power of a shared story of lived experience is enormous, it empowers, helps us relate and connect to other individuals, said Arunachal queer rights activist, Sawang Wangchha.

He shared that for LGBTQIA+ individuals of Arunachal Pradesh, it can be a very lonely existence for the individuals who identify as part of the community with very little, if any, awareness, visibility and understanding regarding queer issues in the State.

He is working to change that through his organization called AP Queer Station.

Sawang was one of the 10 selected participants for a six-day Rainbow storytelling workshop supported by the Kolkata-based US Consulate and hosted at American Centre in the city.

During the workshop, Sawang shared the life scenario of the queer community of Arunachal with fellow participants and activists from US and other parts of India. The workshop focused on training queer individuals and activists to share their stories and lived experiences using art forms and digital storytelling methods and also enhancing their capacity on community building.

These stories and videos are aimed to amplify voices typically ignored by mainstream and online media, engage audiences in reflection and action, and lend honesty and dignity to important civic dialogues at local, national, and international levels.

The stories that were produced during the workshop will be leveraged as advocacy tools for awareness, visibility and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ rights in country and around the world.

The workshop was organized as part of a project implemented by US Story Center and designed and facilitated by Amy Hill, Director, Silence Speaks, Story Center and Raymond O Caldwell, Producing Artistic Director, Theater Alliance, US.

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