Tripura's LGBT community organises their first-ever social event in Agartala

AGARTALA: For the first time in Tripura, the LGBT (Third Gender) community organised a programme as a mark of demonstrating one’s own identity openly.

The programme was organised was at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan, Agartala on Friday evening.

The themes of the programme were depicted in the forms of shows and performances to celebrate, highlight and express the plight of the LGBT community across the country.

Leena Sharma, a PhD researcher, working on Ethnography of the LGBTQIA+community across the Indian State came up with this idea, during her fieldwork in Agartala where she met members and supporters, who share the same thoughts on the issue.

"The common people don’t know the basic things about this community. They think LGBT means ‘Hijra’. First thing is to change the people's mindset and give them voice and power," Leena Sharma said.

Sharing her experience, Senha Gupta Roy, who is the first person in Tripura to change gender, lamented over the negative perception of the majority about the LGBT. "They think it is a sin of past life," she said.

Roy said told that the motto of this programme to change the people’s mindset.

Dance, music, ramp walk, panel discussions were held at Rabindra Bhavan stage last night.

This is the first time that the community organised such a programme in Tripura.

(Edited by Gabriel G Momin)