Daylong Session on LGBTQIA+ Sensitization and Suicide Prevention for Media Professionals Held

ITANAGAR I Ape I 14 :

The AP Queer station in collaboration with the Arunachal Press Club (APC) on Sunday organized a one-day session on LGBTQIA+ sensitization & suicide prevention program for the media fraternity here in the state under the banner, narratives of Care.
The event was supported by the Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI). MHI is a funding agency for innovative mental health initiatives, with a particular focus on making mental health accessible to marginalized persons and communities.
Rudrani, founder of Xomony grassroots Trans –Queer social worker who was the resource person during session 1 of the event spoke on sensitive reporting & storytelling of the LGBTQIA+ community. She spoke on the ethical approaches while reporting on queer storytelling. She also highlighted and spoke on the responsible coverage by the media and its sensitivity towards the community while citing examples of how insensitive reporting can cause long-term damage to the community. She also underscored various do’s and don’ts in LGBTQIA+ plus engagement. Rudrani also spoke on various aspects of the migration of trans persons for the sake of earning a livelihood, studies, and others.

She also stressed the need to understand the community first, and then only one can understand what ethical storytelling is.

She also educated the media persons on how to report and write stories on rising cases such as HIV amongst LGBTQIA+. She said, “We still have fear but we have developed courage now”. She further suggested pamphlets should be distributed amongst the media professionals sharing more about the community for better understanding and educating the masses.

During session 2, Dr Yuma Narah, assistant professor, Psychology Department of Humanities & Social Science NERIST spoke on suicide prevention & mental health awareness while reflecting on the understanding of the LGBTQIA+ mental health challenges. She deliberated on the early signs and preventive care measures. Before the session, Yuma engaged the participants with a game, in an attempt to understand the subject better through activity and fun. She emphasized how psychology and mental health subjects being a new discipline in the state have various challenges. She stressed the need to promote inclusivity with the inclusion of gender sexuality as an elective paper in the state’s higher educational institutions to impart value education while informing that other universities in Assam already have it. She also stressed on the need to introduce psychology subjects in the educational institutions.

This is the first time that a media sensitization program on LQBTQIA+ was held here in the APC.
The Arunachal Press Club Vice President Bengia Ajum earlier speaking on the occasion assured to continue to collaborate with such kinds of events to promote equality and inclusivity in the society.

The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalist vice President Ranju Dodum, Dr Prem Taba General secretary of the Youth Mission for Clean River amongst other journalists and volunteers of the AP Queer station were present.
Founder of the AP Queer station Sawang Wangchha also spoke. Wangchha informed that such sensitization programs are expected to be conducted in the future with the collaboration of hospitals, police departments, and the Churches.