Survey on LGBTQ need of the hour: Academics

KOLKATA: Surendranath Evening College organised a seminar on Tuesday to deliberate on the constraints and challenges faced by the members of the LGBTQ community where several eminent scholars, academics and members of the community stressed that a comprehensive survey was needed to determine the total population of the community in the country for the government and the policy-makers to include the members of the community in the economic activities.
Lack of data is leaving a big section of the population out of the ambit of economic development, said Bivas Chaudhuri, director-professor at the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health.
“There has never been a proper survey to determine the exact number of the LGBTQ community members in the country keeping them out from the economic activities,” said Chaudhuri.
Calcutta University VC Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee said though the members of the community were politically active and globally connected, a big section hailed from the marginalised section of the society.
The seminar was attended by Manabi Bandyopadhyay, principal, Krishnanagar Womens’ College, Natasha Dasgupta, head of the statistics department at Lady Brabourne College.
“Through this seminar we want to spread sensitivity and create awareness about the challenges faced by the members of the LGBTQ community on a daily basis,” said Professor Urmila Sen, convener.