Vartanama, Sep '15
By Pawan Dhall
By Pawan Dhall
Who would have thought that an airport security check would
have been the most adrenaline- generating moment on a recent trip to wondrous
Manipur? The purpose of the trip was to interact with mental health
professionals on issues concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
communities in a seminar. While there was a good exchange of ideas and
experience during the post-event networking and it was heartening to see queer
concerns gaining currency among mental health professionals and researchers in
the state, there were no pointed questions or clarifications sought in the
seminar itself. It could have been the auditorium acoustics, political
correctness or my presentation was just not invigorating enough. But one was
left wanting for greater engagement on the matter, especially when queer
individuals across India continue to report negative encounters with mental
health professionals.