A panel discussion on queer rights led by filmmaker O’Neill at the ongoing Bhopal Literature and Arts Festival was “cancelled” on Friday after organizers “failed to ensure the safety of the filmmakers.”
The 5th edition of the three-day Bhopal Literature and Arts Festival kicked off on Friday at Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Dropped in, O’Neill’s session was on “Making Literature LGBTQ Neutral” with transgender rights activist Kalki Subramaniam as a co-panelist.
I am shocked and sad that an event I was really looking forward to speaking at had to drop me. We said we couldn’t. So they canceled the event. let me handle this… pic.twitter.com/AMSeG9CAa1
— iamOnir (@IamOnir) January 12, 2023
when Indian Express We contacted the festival organizers and they said they had to cancel the event to ensure O’Neal’s safety. “All I can say is that I didn’t have the confidence to keep him safe,” said Sulakshna Chowdhury of the Bhopal Festival of Literature and Arts. Organizers later revealed that they held a session on inclusivity with Subramaniam instead.
Onir, whose debut film My Brother Nikhil (2005) is considered a key landmark for the LGBTQIA movement in India, has expressed his disappointment on social media. “I am shocked and sad that an event I was really looking forward to speaking at had to drop me. That’s why they canceled the event.Let me handle this…” he said in a Twitter post.
Speaking to The Indian Express, he said the incident had confused him. It’s ridiculous that people are having issues with panel discussions on LGBTQIA issues in a day when we’re debating the legality of LGBTQIA,” said Onir.
talk Indian Express, Kalki Subramaniam said: The crowd was very warm and welcoming. However, we extended a hand of solidarity to Onir who was unable to attend the event. The topic of the event changed at the last minute to something related to diversity and health, but I told the organizers that I would only talk about diversity and inclusion as health is not my domain. rice field.
Choudhry confirmed the same. “Yes, he couldn’t attend, so we renamed the Onir event,” she said.
O’Neill also stated that this was the first time something like this had happened to him. “I have never personally received any threats. A number of random profiles have expressed delight at what was done. They feel that “such a topic” should not be discussed at such a prestigious event,” he said. I got
