Minutes, 22nd August 2015

Apologies for the delay in sending the minutes. Our rapporteur fell sick and hence (no, not Srini). I am putting down very quick points.

1. We need to get the call for funds up and running ASAP (Anand is working on it. Anyone else wants to help him, please do volunteer). 

2. We will use Not For Profit, a crowd sourcing online portal to raise funds. People from not for profit will be coming to the pride meeting tomorrow.

3. There was a discussion about screening the film 'Pride'. Scott has reached out to the director, will update on it tomorrow.

4. People who have taken responsibilities / lead for events should update at least over email if they are unable to attend the meeting. Few of us have volunteered to talk to a few who have volunteered for events but have not been in communication with. I am pasting the event table below for everyone to refer.

5. People volunteered to speak to other organizations/groups/individuals about pride and concerns of LGBT persons so that we have an inclusive and diverse pride. I am pasting that list below as well. Few of us attended the PUCL meeting this Monday, will update tomorrow about the same. There is a street vendors union meeting on the 1st at 11am at Yeshwantpur, request participation for it. Tomorrow BBPV meeting at 2.30 in ALF and Sadhana meeting at 4 in ALF, request participation for that as well.   

ALSO, ALL MINUTES ARE AVAILABLE AT www.csmrinfo.blogspot.com. Urge you all to read the minutes there.

Further, please feel free to voice your thoughts over email here if you are unable to attend the meetings. 

NEXT MEETING AT ALF ON 29/08/2015 AT 6.00PM https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/Alternative+Law+Forum/@12.9807716,77.6024787,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x702c449b6a8fa11  

Thank you,

In Solidarity,

Gowthaman 

Event Table:

Event	Person in-charge	Tentative Date	Tentative Venue
Garage Sale for fund raising	Yash	One in September One in October One in December	ALF Terrace
Queer Tango (Dance workshop)	Danish	September last week
Pub Quiz	Danish	September
Seminar on 377 +  Art Gallery regarding atrocities because of 377	Gowthaman	October First weekend	Rangoli Art Gallery or Chitrakalaparishat
Queer Street Play in Kannada/English	Padmini	October
Queer Poetry/Story Telling	Rohini	October
Consultation meeting with trans women from RPC layout/Bapuji Nagar	Akkai, Kumar	October
Queer Sports event day	Akkai, Bhuvi	31st October	Malleshwaram Ground
Open Mic (Queer people speaking about their lives)	Rohini	November	Cubbon Park
Flash Mob	Naveen Joshi	November
PFLAG Meet	Srini	October/November
PLHIV Meet	Srini	October/November
Queer Cycling to BBMP office demanding subsidized cycle	Gowthaman	8th November
Transgender Remembrance Day	Kumar	20th November
Kooth Party	Ayan	20th November
Diversity Mela	Ayan	21st November
Pride March		22nd November	Three Routes being explored
District Pride Events	Kumar	December

  

Volunteers to speak to other groups 

1.      Sangama – Kumar, Yash and Gowthaman (note: Rajesh and Christy have said they will participate in the next meeting)

2.      Samara – Kumar, Yash and Gowthaman

3.      Aneka - Kumar, Yash and Gowthaman

4.      KSMF - Kumar, Yash and Gowthaman

5.      KSWU – Naveen, Kumar, Yash and Gowthaman

6.      Swabhava –

7.      G.A.Y. – already in attendance

8.      WHAQ – Bhuvi and Yash

9.      Payana – already in attendance

10.  LesBiT - Gowthaman

11.  QueerIISc - Kamlesh

12.  Pirat Dykes – Gowthaman

13.  ALF – already in attendance

14.  PUCL-K - already in attendance

15.  Vimochana - Sonu

16.  Pedestrian Pictures - Sonu

17.  HSS – Sonu (not sure if the legal entity is there but members to be reached out to)

18.  Samvada -  Sonu

19.  NLS Queer Alliance – Padmini

20.  Jeeva – Gowthaman

21.  Onedede – already in attendance

22.  Karnataka mangalamukhiyara sangha – Kumar  

It was felt that the meeting should be attended by these groups and volunteers were needed to speak to these groups so that they participate in the planning meeting and also are a part of the larger conversation on LGBT rights. Few other groups that the group felt should be reached out to were as follows:

1.      Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike – sunil, sonu

2.      Street Vendors unions – sunil sonu

3.      Journalist study circle

4.      North East Solidarity – anand

5.      African Students associations – anand

6.      Vijaya mahila sangha - Kumar

7.      Jyoti mahila sangha - Kumar

8.      GATWU -

9.      Christ university and St.Joseph’s – Padmini, Akkai?

10.  Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike (Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum) -

(Just a representational image)

Minutes, 8th August 2015

No. of participants: 15

Highlights:

·         Pride events for 2015 to span from September till November 22^nd, Pride March in Bangalore and may be in Districts in December.

·         Tentative list of events, their tentative dates, person-in-charge decided (Table attached)

·         An organizational account, on a rotational basis, shall be used for maintaining funds. Individual event owners to come up with tentative budget for the events by next week.

·         A single fb page (Bangalore Pride & Karnataka Queer Habba) shall be used for announcing events. More people from the current participants to be added as admins by Ayan. Rohini to get back on Old pride website revival. Anand to handle youtube video channel.

·         After a long and passionate debate, Decisions regarding the following items postponed till September 1^st week meeting, for larger consultation, until which, last year’s decisions still hold good.

o   Whether to accept funds from organizations/political parties/corporations?

o   Whether to allow any kind of promotional materials, such as badges, T-shirts, banners of any organizations/corporations/political parties?

Event Table:

Event	Person in-charge	Tentative Date	Tentative Venue
Garage Sale for fund raising	Yash	One in September One in October One in December	ALF Terrace
Queer Tango (Dance workshop)	Danish	September last week
Pub Quiz	Danish	September
Seminar on 377 + Art Gallery regarding atrocities because of 377	Gowthaman	October First weekend	Rangoli Art Gallery or Chitrakalaparishat
Queer Street Play in Kannada/English	Padmini	October
Queer Poetry/Story Telling	Rohini	October
Consultation meeting with trans women from RPC layout/Bapuji Nagar	Akkai, Kumar	October
Queer Sports event day	Akkai, Bhuvi	31st October	Malleshwaram Ground
Open Mic (Queer people speaking about their lives)	Rohini	November	Cubbon Park
Flash Mob	Naveen Joshi	November
PFLAG Meet	Srini	October/November
PLHIV Meet	Srini	October/November
Queer Cycling to BBMP office demanding subsidized cycle	Gowthaman	8th November
Transgender Remembrance Day	Kumar	20th November
Kooth Party	Ayan	20th November
Diversity Mela	Ayan	21st November
Pride March		22nd November	Three Routes being explored
District Pride Events	Kumar	December

DiscussionPoints:

·         Gowthaman recaps discussions and decisions of previous meet. Follow up with other organizations to join CSMR meetings to be done by all owners. Demands from previous pamphlet published, people to review and comment.

·         District Prides: Should we do in Shimoga or repeat in Hasan? Kumar to initiate discussions with District leaders. Bangalore can only help the district organizations/people. They can own up and do events at their own wish/time.

·         Donation collection and maintenance.

o   ALF/Maya4Women to come back and say if their accounts can be used for pride fund collection, keeping in mind about foreign fund issues.

o   Ramya (CSMR) to help setup www.notforprofit.in project to collect funds online from Indian citizens.

o   Yash offers to use his personal account for collecting funds from foreign or overseas Indians.

o   Volunteers to meet coming Wednesday 6.30PM for finalizing on the account for funds and other pending points.

o   Anand: we can take a hat and collect funds from people in MG Road etc, along with sensitization.

·         Arguments for/against whether to allow corporate funding/banners/promotional material.

o   Yash: Why can’t we take funds from corporations but yet not allow their banners?

o   Elen: Our HR guys wouldn’t release money if their banner is not allowed.

o   Akkai: CSMR already decided not to take monitory support from corporates/politicians/religious leaders.

o   Ayan/Yash: can we allow banners ‘without’ the word ‘sponsor’?

o   Kumar: If we allow some banners, there is no guarantee other organizations or groups don’t come up with their own banners. We have enough time for fund collection. Why should we ask corporates now?

o   Srini: Most Corporates won’t agree to give money without their banners.

o   Rohini: Even if 1 corporate agree to give money without banner, why cant we take?

o   Gowthaman:

§  CSMR is not against taking funds from individuals working in corporations, but not corporates themselves.

§  There shall be consequences like, some corporates claiming, “we sponsored” or some even going to the extent of “we organized pride”. There is no guarantee corporates violate the ‘terms’ agreed in pride, if we take money. There is no control. Pride is by queer people for queer people and mobilizing money is also a political act and we should all pitch in and make it happen. The power equation is very skewed between CSMR and corporation and no negotiation can be implemented in such a tilted equation.

§  Idea of pride is a people’s movement, it can’t be capital’s movement.

§  Many groups that are part of CSMR, have ideological conflicts with corporates, they may not turn up, the movement corporate funds are involved. Also, some LGBT masses might be left out.

§  We are not against engaging with corporates. We are only against sponsorships and hence the banners of corporations in pride. Engagements continue outside pride.

o   Anand: Are we fighting our own rights or just targeting corporates? If we don’t want them to dominate in pride, can’t we put some rules for them? If they don’t stick to the rules, can’t we ask them to leave the pride?

o   Kumar: We can’t negotiate with corporates on the road. Today if we allow money from corporates, Are we allowing tomorrow from political parties or BBMP to sponsor?

o   Yash: Let’s not take decision now. Let’s see who all continue to come to meetings and decide at a later meeting.

o   Gowthaman: Decisions can’t be based on attendance here alone. There are many people and organizations in CSMR who has worked for different causes. We can’t just ignore their opinion just because they are not here.

o   Kaushik: Can we not ask media to sensor what corporates say in pride?

o   Deepak: Capital is power. Different movements experienced that before that capitals can overturn them. Capitals sponsoring certainly will cause tensions. Let’s not take any corporate money.

o   Rohini: Let’s not decide now.

o   Akkai: We already engage with corporates for different programs. We are open to them but not their banners. T-shirts should be ok, if they have “solidarity to pride” instead of “support.

o   Elen: Last year corporates were angry and asked people not to go.

o   Ayan: Which ever may be the decision, if we want funds from corporates, we need to decide fast, since we will have to apply in our companies.

o   Rohini: We already managed last year without corporate money, so its ok this year too. But why cant we allow T-shirts/badges?

o   Gowthaman: None can monitor the rules, If we allow T-shirts/Badges, there is no end to it. CSMR already took decision against it last year. And the rules are not targeting corporates. The rules are generic for other organizations/political parties as well.

o   Yash: Are these decisions being made because of personalized stance/ego/prejudices?  Then why did we take corporate money in 2012/2013?

o   Kumar: We don’t tell anyone not to come to pride. We are not alienating anyone. Individuals working in the corporations can still be part of pride. And we learn from our struggles (Horata) and the decisions changed in 2014. There is nothing wrong with that.

o   Ismail: Politicians want our votes when they give money. Similarly corporates may have their own interests.

o   Anand: What’s the goal of our movement? How much time can we fight and only fight?

o   Gowthaman: It’s not about them vs us. Its not a question of making enemies. Corporates can wipe you off, they have power. Dealing with them is not at an equal level.  We do have goals involving corporates, such as unisex toilets in their companies, insurance for same sex couples, friendly workspaces for trans people etc. We are not against engagement with corporates but Pride is not the place for that.

o   Rohini: We might need to fight till end. Still Trans and Colored people in US don’t have their rights. We don’t really need corporate money, then why take?

o   Yash: The idea to bring up this is for new people to understand the logic behind why we don’t take corporate money.

o   Kumar: We are not targeting corporates. We are happy to engage with them, take money for any specific event, say for needs of transgender persons, but why for pride? If money is less, let us as a group reach out to other rights groups and ask for contributions and explain our cause.

o   Michael: Why can’t we at least allow T-shirts? What’s the harm?

o   Gowthaman: All we are saying is “Promotional material” shall not be allowed. We never explicitly said if you wear T-shirts, you will be thrown out of pride. But T-shirts with corporation slogans and logos, do fall under “promotional material”

o   Anand/Yash/Rohini: Can we have one judgment day, say in September first week, where we shall decide for ever on this topic.

o   Gowthaman: Let’s first reach out to organizations like PUCL and others and increase our participation of meetings and take everyone into confidence.  First week of September is OK.