Voices of women go unheard all over the world. The LGBTQ community is no exception. Lesbians, bisexual and queer women, and trans person (LBT) voices often go unheard — they are highly marginalised and invisibilized. There is a dearth of LBT voices within the LGBTQ space. To discuss their rights and strengthen their voices, Umang, a support group for lesbian, bisexual women, queer women and transpersons (LBT) will host the second edition of its LBT film festival titled 'Pankh' on April 28 at Mini Auditorium, SNDT College, Juhu. The aim of the festival is to start conversations about LBT rights and lives through films, discussions, performances and more. Speaking about the marginalisation of women in LGBTQ community, an organizer of the festival Pearl Daruwalla said, "This is a highly marginalised and invisibilized community. Thanks to HIV interventions and LGBTQ activism, the focus is on men in the community. However, LBT voices go unheard. This festival will provide them with the platform to strengthen their voices." Koninika Roy, Advocacy Manager at The Humsafar Trust and an organizer of the festival says, "Women in our country are vulnerable to house arrest, violence, rape and forced marriages. Lesbian women, bisexual women and people assigned female at birth face double stigma — for being women and for their gender identity and/or sexuality. These issues are often not discussed because representation of LBT is lacking. Hence, we feel this space will be able to highlight marginalisation of LBT and add rights discourse at large." Apart from screening films on LGBTQ community, the event will feature renowned LBT activist Maya Sharma and founder of city-based NGO Kranti Robin Chaurasia among other activists who will share their views on the issue. A play titled Nanhi Kali Sone Chali adapted from the celebrated drama The Vagina Monologues (Kissa Yoni Ka) will be staged. The play will feature Bollywood actress Priyanka Setia. THE INITIATIVE To start conversations on LBT rights, Umang, a support group for lesbian, bisexual women, queer women and transpersons will host an LBT film festival titled ‘Pankh’ on April 28 at SNDT College

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