When Pragya Sikka asked the motley group of changemakers, queer persons and allies to describe what public spaces meant to each of us, we immediately got to scribbling and doodling. Free, 24/7, accessible to all, a space where we could be invisible, safe... the ideas flowed. We drew parks and libraries, street lights, signboards, indicators for clean toilets, safe drinking water, and more. And like Cristelle Hart Singh of Dil Se said, many of us spoke of Cubbon Park in Bengaluru as an example.
Ironically, just a day after this discussion took place at aikyam space on December 20, we heard about a peaceful meeting of a reading community at Cubbon Park being disrupted by authorities. They confiscated books and curators of the book club were threatened with fines for holding a large gathering. Which brings us right back to the question Pragya posed at the beginning of our discussion. Who are public spaces designed for? The usual practice of creating spaces and then trying to make them inclusive was not the way ahead, she said. "How about including the stakeholders for these spaces at the design stage itself? We have to unlearn our ideas of what is 'normal'. We should include diverse groups of stakeholders who will use these spaces while planning for them." she said.
Scenes from the empathy walk at the start of the event
Pragya's organisation, Friends of Toto, uses art-based interventions to talk about well being, gender-based violence & social justice. A lot of her work involves supporting LGBTQ+ survivors of violence through well-being programs. She gently guided the group at aikyam space through the importance of proactively identifying one's pronouns. "This creates safe spaces for everyone to express and own their identities," she explained. "This is especially important at work spaces, where inclusive practices should be part of the frameworks and policies of the organisation. And it must be actively practised by all." She emphasised the vital need to have representation for queer stakeholders in spaces where these policies are being made. This ensures that actual problems are being solved rather than just what a hetero-normative group considers could be a problem.
Reema Shaji, who is space manager at TinkerSpace, explained how her workspace also doubles up as a public space. She was delighted that her work space upholds many of the ideals the group identified as essential. "Every form that we send out for events encourages people to share their pronouns," she said. Fathim Rashna, who works with GIZ, spoke of the importance of including desk-less workspaces and commutes as part of the conversation. Kiri, who volunteers with Friends of Toto, explained why she uses this name to represent herself at work. "People find it difficult to understand my identity from my name," she explained. "My art need not be judged for who I am or where I come from."
Snapshots from the discussion
For every participant, the event meant something different. Anup Sarmah, who leads the Bharat Ingenuity Foundation, called it an evening of unlearning and learning. Udit Dinesh said it was a coming together of many perspectives. For Ru, the event became a space for finding community. It was a similar experience for Red and Sangeeta Praveen, who attended the event with her daughters, Shloka and Sanjana. Each of us took home a little something that night, to introspect and to put into practice in our own spaces.
