LSR Queer Collective

The LSR Queer Collective, in collaboration with the Department of Political Science, organised a thought-provoking speaker session, featuring Dr. Nancy Pathak, on November 22nd in RnR period (12:45 AM-1:30 PM). This session was conducted through Google Meet and was open to all students. The theme "Queer Politics in South Asia: Legacy and Continuity of Resistances" explored the historical and contemporary struggles of queer communities in the region. Dr. Pathak is an Assistant Professor of Political Science who is deeply engaged in the study of queer politics in South Asia and the exploration of the intersections of identity, activism, and policy. The session was centred around the legal and political framework for South Asian queer and transgender people. In addition to this, Dr. Pathak also showed statistical results of her primary research on variations in execution of queer policies across different regions in India. The session drew participation from students eager to deepen their understanding of queer and political intersectionality. Finally, the contact details of the speaker were shared with the attendees for any further inquiry. #queer #du #session #politics

The annual pride parade of the Queer Collective of LSR was conducted on 7th November during ECA (11.45-1.30). The event was a thrilling collaboration of four different societies: the Queer Collective, Elocution, Hive, and Dramatics Society, combined with the support of the LSR Student Union. The parade began splendidly, with face painting carried out by Hive, and we witnessed an enthusiastic crowd lined up to get their faces painted. The QC distributed handmade violets, posters, and flags in the crowd for them to take as souvenirs. A display board at the venue traced the history of queer resistance and had sticky notes where people could freely write what pride means for them and had a chart where they fingerpainted hearts to form a rainbow. The parade started at Nescafe with the Dramatics Society leading it and everyone collectively chanting classic queer anthems to old Bollywood songs. The closing of the event was equally enthralling. It ended with an open mic in collaboration with the Elocution Society. There were all kinds of performances, from songs by acclaimed Queer artists to self-composed love songs and poetry. The collaborative pride parade was both a reclamation of identity in a society that suppresses it and also an event of love and hope, with the aim to make campus feel more welcoming, inclusive, and safe for Queer individuals. #LGBT #queer #du #pride #parade

The Queer Collective of LSR organised a film screening of Sisak, written and directed by Faraz Arif Ansari. Sisak is India’s first silent LGBTQ+ film and has won 59 international awards. The event, held during the ECA period (4:30-5:30 pm) on 15th October, was open to all students and attracted an enthusiastic audience, creating a warm and engaging atmosphere. To start, the coordinators introduced the film, highlighting its importance and impact. Set against the backdrop of a Mumbai local train, the film follows the silent but intense interactions of two men, illustrating the quiet struggles of expressing queer love openly in India. The film concludes with a moving dedication to all unspoken love stories. Following the screening, a space for open discussion and reviews encouraged participants to share insights on the film, societal attitudes toward the queer community, and personal experiences with sexuality and gender identity. #queer #LGBTQ #movie #screening

On 26th September 2024, Queer Collective organised a sensitisation session for the general student body. Discussions around pronouns, sexualities, gender fluidity, setting boundaries, being better allies and more were held. #LGBTQ #queer #sensitisation #sexuality

The Queer Collective of LSR had their orientation for the freshers in the R&R period (12:45-1:30 pm) on September 13th. The event was met with a warm audience and a thrilling atmosphere. First, introductions were made of both the collective and the coordinators, followed by a brief description of the core teams and its functioning by the respective heads. The audience was made aware of the past events that QC had organized which included a poetry reading session with the Elocution Society and a reading circle with Hindu College QC. Then, the coordinators also informed them of the future events, the pride parade and the resources that are provided, as well as the new initiatives like the upcoming blog and the grievance redressal form. Other necessary details were shared like the recruitment process, plans on collaborations, flexibility of teams etc. After that, the floor was open for questions, and queries of the participants were addressed, followed by a fun and interactive discussion around life in college and queer experiences.

Greetings! On the August 23rd, LSR Queer Collective and The Elocution Society, LSR conducted a reading circle session on the poems of Adrienne Rich and Hoshang Merchant. The event celebrated the poetic resistance of the two poets through queer symbolism. It began with the introductory background of Rich and Merchant, highlighting the socio-historical contexts of the poets and its significance in their work. Powerful poems from the writers including ‘Untitled’ by Merchant and ‘Poem 2’ from her publication ’21 Love Poems’ were recited, the audience subsequently shared their thoughts and interpretations of the poetry, decoding the meanings behind the verses. The engaging and interactive session deepened the understanding of the works of the poets and the ways in which their poetry challenges the society that places bounds on love and self-expression. The collaborative reading circle was a poignant reminder of the intersection between queer resistance and literature. 23अगस्त को,वियर कलेक्टिव और एलएसआर की एलोक्यूशन सोसाइटी ने एड्रिएन रिच और होशंग मर्चेंट की कविताओं पर एक रीडिंग सर्कल आयोजित किया। इस कार्यक्रम में प्रतीकवाद के माध्यम से दो कवियों के काव्यात्मक प्रतिरोध का जश्न मनाया गया। इसकी शुरुआत रिच और मर्चेंट की परिचयात्मक पृष्ठभूमि से हुई, जिसमें कवियों के सामाजिक-ऐतिहासिक संदर्भों और उनके काम में इसके महत्व पर प्रकाश डाला गया। मर्चेंट की 'अनटाइटल्ड' और रिच की प्रकाशन '21 लव पोयम्स' की 'कविता 2' सहित लेखकों की शक्तिशाली कविताएँ सुनाई गईं, दर्शकों ने बाद में कविता के बारे में अपने विचार और व्याख्याएँ साझा कीं, छंदों के पीछे के अर्थों को समझा। आकर्षक और इंटरैक्टिव सत्र ने कवियों के कार्यों और उनकी कविता के उस समाज को चुनौती देने के तरीकों की समझ को गहरा किया जो प्रेम और आत्म-अभिव्यक्ति को सीमित करता है। सहयोगात्मक वाचन मंडल प्रतिरोध और साहित्य के बीच अंतरसंबंध का एक मार्मिक अनुस्मारक था। Content Credits: Paankhi #LSR #discussion #Poem #sociohistorical #DU #LGBTQIA #queercollective