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CHENNAI: It’s Pride Month, and Chennai is in high spirits, painting the city in rainbow colours. From art events to panel discussions ahead of the Pride March on June 28, the city is buzzing with activities that bring the community together. Over the next few days, Chennai will host a range of exciting events celebrating pride, inclusion and self-expression.
Quilt, organised by Orinam, Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition and Goethe Institute, brings an evening of queer themed poetry, spoken word and performances. This year, the event will also include a Pride anthem rendered as a Carnatic music composition, and poetry in English and Tamil by Chennai’s queer creatives. “We often think of the community mainly in the context of our vulnerability to stigma, discrimination and other injustices. Here is an opportunity to experience queer joy and creative expression,” says Sriram, a volunteer with the Orinam collective. One can register for the event by scanning the QR on their poster.
Date and time: June 20, 3 pm
Location: Goethe-Institut Chennai, Rutland Gate, 5th Street, Nungambakkam
This day long event, organised by DakshinaChitra, will see three movie screenings that depict queer lives in India, followed by discussions on themes of inclusion and support. The movies screened are Purple Skies (2014), directed by Sridar Rangayan, Flowering Man (2023), a Hindi-language short film directed by Soumyajit Ghosh, Selvi Amma (2025) and Arali (2025), directed by Guna R. Alongside the screenings, the Kanali Mandapam will also host an art showcase, encompassing artists from the city.
Date and time: June 21, 11 am to 5.30 pm
Venues: Seminar Hall & Kanali Mandapam at DakshinaChitra Museum
Organised by Tamilnadu LGBTIQ Movement and Sahodaran, the festival offers a dynamic mix of performances, ranging from Bharatanatyam to modern expressions like Sollisai (Rap) and Cinematic Group Dances. “It is a place for people to present their talent and help them gain more confidence. A space that is safe and encouraging,” says founder of the Tamilnadu LGBTIQ Movement, Sharan Karthick Raj. The event will also have a mono act play by writer activist A Revathi that will sensitise people to transgender lives. A book review session by Singaporean writer Alagersamy Sakthivel is also on the cards, as they put it, “We don’t just read books; we read ourselves.” The entry to the event is free.
Date and time: June 21, 5 pm
Venue: Asha Nivas, Nungambakkam
At Baari, a screening of the documentary Amma’s Pride will be followed by a discussion on the Trans Amendment Act 2026 and how it could impact the lives of transgender persons in the country. The documentary directed by Shiva Krish follows Valli and her trans daughter, Srija, as they fight for their rights and work towards living a life of happiness and joy in a small town in Tamil Nadu. The discussion organised by Young People for Politics will be headed by advocate and Thirunar Archives general secretary Agni Pradeep, who has written a book on how the legislation will have an impact on their lives. “We intentionally paired cinema with policy discussion because laws are not abstract for us. They directly affect how trans people access identity documents, healthcare, education, employment, housing, and even personal autonomy.
Too often, policies about trans lives are discussed without trans people in the room. This event changes that,” says Agni Pradeep, General Secretary, Thirunar Archives. The entry to the event is free but with limited seats.
Date and time: June 21, 5.30 pm
Venue: BAARI - The Culture Space, G4, JP Greenland Apartments, 9, 5th St, Nandanam Extension, Nandanam
The movie screening organised by Deepti and The Poze will have Dear Sahithya by Leo Paapam and Malwa Khushan, directed by Preeti Kanungo and Sourav Yadav, being screened, followed by live performances, including stand up, live music and an interaction session. “One is about non binary representation, a true story. The other one is about women being attracted to each other. Essentially, to start conversations,” says Sophia Victor, founder of the Poze. She adds that it is an attempt to support artists from the community as well. “We have always valued the time and effort of every artist from the community and remunerated them to the best of our capacity.” The entry to the event is free.
The Poze and Deepthi are also organising a post Pride march party at the No Name Club in Nungambakkam on June 28.
Date and time: June 27, 3 pm
Venue: Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, 5th Street, Rutland Gate, Greams Road
And, a month of celebrations comes to an end with the Pride March on June 28, starting from Rajarathnam Stadium, Egmore at 3.30 pm. Pride is more than a celebration and a form of resistance. A form of political movement. “It has always been a political space born from rebellion, sustained through resilience, and carried forward by collective resistance,” says Agni Pradeep as she calls for people to join them in this resistance.