Indian Coming Out Day Celebrated

Hyderabad: The Indian Coming Out Day, an important LGBTQIA+ day, which was celebrated on Saturday was marked by personal stories and performances organised by the Mobbera Foundation. The day commemorates the Supreme Court reading down Section 377 of the IPC to decriminalise voluntary same-sex relations. The focus was on understanding the journey of coming out, creating a common safe space and acknowledging how far the community has come. The event featured three panelists, who have a long-standing involvement with the LGBTQIA+ community.

Sandy, who founded Mobbera Foundation along with Anil Kohl, shared their personal story with humour. “Parents were pushing me for marriage matches, so I had to reveal the truth,” he said. Sandy’s coming out moment happened in 2018, unknowingly, when they were part of a TV show. Their father proudly took a screenshot of the TV show and shared it in groups, only to be told by others about the context and content of the show. Though Sandy had shrugged it off as another fake visual at that moment, they eventually revealed it to their parents through the support of their brother. According to Sandy, their family now, though still learning, have become more accepting. “They’ve started cracking positive jokes, so that is a good sign,” Sandy shared with a laugh.

Krishna Gurramkonda spoke about founding a support group for LGBTQIA+ people in the 80s that started with just five members and a postbox for receiving letters. “We crossed 100 letters within a year,” Krishna said. On the changes over the years, he explained that it was mainly the visibility that has changed, “We started with five and now we are over five lakhs, but 40-50 per cent are still hiding behind masks.” On a more pragmatic note, Krishna advised the community to be financially independent. He said, “A good career and financial independence can beat everything, so focus on that.”

Hanna Rathod, a trans person from Anantapur and Miss Universe Trans India 2024 shared her journey of becoming an associate junior scientist at the University of Lleida, Spain. Seema Ranjith, a motorbike enthusiast and founder of Bikerni Hyderabad, also had a compelling coming-out story. She came out to her late husband, with whom she shares a son, redefining what it means to remain married despite their differing sexualities.

Another story that left quite an impact was of a B.Tech. student who recounted how they were forced into Hijra culture as a trans person. Now, with the help of Mobbera Foundation’s “Project Upadhi,” they are placed successfully at a corporate company. A particularly interesting moment at the event came when an audience member, a doctor, shared their experience of coming out and how it “shattered” their mother’s dreams. They explained how their mother had hoped they and their future wife would work together in the same hospital. “It’s a big responsibility when coming out because you shatter dreams,” they said.