Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s popularity among the queer community is no secret. Before the screening of Abu , a documentary by Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker Arshad Khan, at the 9th edition of Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, Consulate Director of Quebec Office in Mumbai, Dominic Marcotte, took to the stage to reiterate Trudeau’s commitment towards queer issues, garnering thunderous applause. It’s not unusual to spot ‘Canada’ written on posters and brochures of a number of queer events and awareness initiatives in Mumbai. What has prompted this active support for the Indian LGBTQAI+ community?
Pink outreach
Dressed in a baby pink shirt, Trudeau became the first Canadian PM to participate in the Toronto Pride Parade in 2016. From then on, he apologised to queer citizens who were subjected to discrimination during the Cold War and appointed openly-gay Member of Parliament, Randy Boissonnault, as special advisor on LGBTQIA+ issues. The plan now is to reach out to a global community. “We have been encouraged recently to engage with organisations and human rights activists who are standing up for the LGBT community around the world,” informs Jordan Reeves, Consul General of Canada in Mumbai.
Jordan Reeves at the 9th Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
Since the last five years, Kashish has been partnering with Canada, sponsoring panel discussions on advocacy, equal rights and Indo-Canadian co-production for films. “We have been there as a supporter [of the festival] because it fits very much with our agenda these days,” says Reeves. Koninika Roy, Advocacy Manager at The Humsafar Trust, has noticed an active involvement in the last three year, where Canada has supported The Acceptance Meet – an annual event to share LGBTQAI+ stories – twice. In January this year, Canada also supported the Gulabi Mela, an annual fair which takes place in the run up to the Mumbai Pride Parade. “When they put ‘Canada’ on their posters and everywhere at the event, it helped them attract far more people than they had before,” Reeves shares. “Because there was a government or an official organisation visibly supporting the event, [it] gave confidence to a lot of people who were otherwise hesitant to come out.”
On the flipside, Canada’s involvement could spark a debate on pinkwashing, where the country can be viewed as a ‘Western saviour’. The Consul General says that they haven’t encountered any criticism so far. “The one thing that I have been sensitive to is that obviously I am representing the government of Canada and I am Canadian and not Indian, so the last thing I want to do is lecture Indians on what they should and should not be doing,” asserts Reeves.
“I don’t think Canada is seen as a very hostile country,” says Roy, adding that they have never been criticised for receiving grants from the Canadian government, but they are often questioned when they accept support from the U.S. government, owing to the Trump administration.
According to filmmaker and festival director of Kashish, Sridhar Rangayan, the debate on Western influence will arise if Canada gets involved in rights-based activism, which it has been consciously staying away from. While Canada decriminalised same-sex sexual activity in 1969, India has still to do away with Section 377 IPC, which criminalises homosexual sex. “Our approach hasn’t been to lobby directly or put out direct statements [against 377], but rather work with partners in India,” says Reeves.
“We try and not use other government’s money for lobbying against 377 because the connotation comes out very negative,” says Roy. She adds that using Canadian funds to advocate against the law could be equated to taking a formal stand against the Indian government. But Rangayan believes otherwise. “It is crucial if we can bring leverage from a country like Canada and [put] pressure on the government of India,” he says, adding that various consulates in Mumbai have been supportive of consultations but have had no direct impact on policy changes.
Supporting advocacy
An advantage of partnering with Canada, in Roy’s experience, has been in acquiring funds for social advocacy. “Traditional funders, who fund health initiatives, do not want to fund advocacy because they think it is going against the government,” observes Roy. “The Canadian Consulate has been consistently supporting us despite the political climate.” For instance, Canada along with the Humsafar Trust trained representatives from the LGBTQAI+ community on how to interact with the media, which resulted in a manual. “For any kind of social change to be sustainable, it needs to come from within,” says Reeves.
Beyond financial support, it’s also the exchange of ideas and people with Canada that has helped the LGBTQAI+ organisations in the city. At Kashish last year, the Consulate General of Canada invited Inuk queer activist Mona Belleau to speak at the festival how indigenous community isn’t very visible in the Canadian queer movement. They also sponsored Rangayan’s participation at the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival in Toronto, where he presented his latest film, Evening Shadows . “The exchange helps us develop a more positive narrative for the queer community here,” says Sakshi Juneja, founder of Gaysi, which aims to focus on the Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (LBT) community.
It’s not just Canada but other countries like the U.S., Norway, Sweden and organisations like the British Council have also supported queer activities in India. “But they should not just been seen as cash cows,” warns Rangayan. The consulates provide safe spaces for cultural events and queer activism, especially in hostile countries. “Ultimately, we feel more strengthened by the consulates backing our fight,” concludes Rangayan.
