At Queer Katta, we get a platform to discuss issues related to the LGBTQ+ community and come up with the best solution possible. Take an example of this session, where we reached a conclusion that we shall fight the Trans and Surrogacy Bill once the Rajya Sabha session gets over and there will be public dissemination of these bills. We will collect funds and fight them in the court of law till justice is served. All these ideas are born here. This is a great platform to educate and revolutionise the community. Bindumadhav Khire

A 40-something tailor, Sanjay* from Pimpri-Chinchwad area, finished his work early last Friday and came rushing through the evening traffic at Bhakti-Shakti Garden, Nigdi, to attend the first Queer Katta of the year. It was a moment for him to face his reality. He is not open to his family about his sexual orientation, but for the first time in more than 40 years, he gathered enough courage to be his true self in front of a motley crowd. “I saw a post on the organiser Bindumadhav Khire’s Facebook page that members from the LGBTQ+ community were meeting and decided to come here and be part of the katta. I had never met so many people like me. They are strangers, but I feel a sense of belonging here,” says Sanjay. From youngsters in their 20s to men in their 50s, there was indeed a sense of belonging for all at the katta. Gay, transman, transwoman, bisexual, straight and intersex were a part of it, discussing the Trans and Surrogacy Bill, safe sex, and bringing the LGBTQ+ community from rural areas to the mainstream, besides sharing some light-hearted anecdotes on dating life.In November, Pune witnessed Maharashtra’s first LGBTQ+ Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, an idea which too was born at the Queer Katta. Since the community is reaching out to gay people in rural areas, organisers feel the Marathi language should have words for the queer people, as English words have no emotional connectivity for the people living in the rural areas. “We are coming up with a concept called Marathi-Wikipedia for the LGBTQ+ community. Words like queer, gay, transgender, intersex and all terms used for the LGBTQ reference in the English language will now be translated into Marathi so that we can educate not just the LGBTQ+, but everyone else. We are planning to take this forward by visiting colleges and organising kattas in cities like Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nashik and more.”Speaking about the reason behind initiating a platform like this, Bindumadhav shares, “Let alone having a conversation with a senior member of the community inside an organisation, many youngsters are not even comfortable coming to an LGBTQ+ organisation if they are closeted. Many fear a one-on-one interaction and that’s a genuine concern. The only way for people to meet members from the queer community in a safe zone is a public event like this. So, we came up with the concept of Queer Katta, where youngsters are free to meet us and be part of the community. There’s absolutely no requirement to disclose their identity; they can just come join us. The idea is to make everyone feel included and give them a chance to talk to one another on any issue.”Life for the LGBTQ+ community has changed post the Section 377 verdict and the ‘criminal’ tag no longer haunts them. However, a platform for youngsters to meet and be aware of what lies ahead for the community was necessary. Queer Katta aims to do just that. Every 15 days, members of the community come together and the event on last Friday was the 13th edition of the katta. “PCMC’s first pride march was the outcome of Queer Katta,” says Anil Ukarande, a law student and a gay rights activist. He shares, “The talks are not just limited to coming-out stories or exchanging ideas. We take things forward. Take the discussion on the Trans Bill and Surrogacy Bill for example. We spoke, discussed, argued and disagreed with the bill and mobilised the community to find ways in which we can challenge these discriminatory laws. So, there’s learning, ideas and brainstorming involved. We feel that each one of us has a voice at the katta and that is something very progressive in nature for the community.”Ishwar, an IT person, is a regular at the katta and he shares the benefits of having a platform like this, saying, “A person who wants to come out of the closet gets support here. Most of the LGBTQ+ people living in rural areas suffer from loneliness and depression, and they find solace here. Trans people who are undergoing medical transition have friends here. People might not know each other, but they find a connection because there’s no one judging us for who we are. We can be quiet or opinionated, or just mute spectators. I feel these are the benefits of having a platform like this.”While Pune has witnessed a decent number of Queer Kattas, going to rural areas with this concept is important to extend support to the community living in these pockets. In fact, these sessions have given people a lot of courage as well. A 50-year old doctor from Pimpri, for whom this was his second Queer Katta, is now gathering the courage to come out to his family. “Till now, I have been living a life according to the expectations of society. I don’t think I can continue doing so! The struggle to hide my reality has destroyed my mental peace. This event has given me some respite, hope and courage. I no longer feel I am lonely; there is support for many like me,” says the doctor.From pride marches to taking Queer Katta to rural areas, the queer community is finding new ways to meet one another now. “LGBTQ+ dating apps might work for the younger generation, but for the older ones, meeting someone from the community is a rarity. Forget about dating, nobody wants to even talk to us online. But it is events like these that empower many, including me, as we get to meet likeminded people from the community, speak in our mother-tongue, share memorable moments, exchange intellectual thoughts and get rid of the feeling of loneliness,” adds Onkar Manas, a spa therapist.At the Queer Katta, Bindumadhav decided to retire from his responsibility of organising pride marches in Pune. But he will continue to lend support to the youngsters from the community so that they shoulder the responsibility from now on. “Now that Section 377 has gone in our favour, the LGBTQ+ community from Pune can get together and organise pride walks. Starting this month, the Samapathik Trust will no longer organise LGBTQ+ pride walks in the city. However, we shall provide support to youngsters from the community, just like we did for the PCMC’s pride walk,” informs Bindumadhav.