Rainbow home where all can thrive

"HELLO, who are you going to call today?" reads the banner outside a makeshift PCO in Chennai during the Rainbow Self Respect Pride March in 2025.

- SENTHIL KUMAR @Coimbatore

One by one, participants step inside, make calls they may have postponed for years: to parents, close friends, and siblings. On the other end of the line is a declaration of survival and joy — I am happy, I am free.This is how the LGBTQIA+ community feels at Nirangal Charitable Trust, an organisation that provides not just shelter but a place of dignity, safety, and belonging to the queer people in Coimbatore. The founder of the trust is TD Sivakumar, a transgender activist.

School is considered to be a haven for children. For many, it is their second home, where they study, make friends, and discover themselves. While most of us remember our school days as memorable, the 44-year-old Chennai-based LGBTQIA+ community activist (Sivakumar) remembers it as the darkest period in their life. “Even my close friends had bullied and harassed me when my activities changed due to my hormonal changes,” said Sivakumar.