American Centre in Chennai to hold panel discussion on LGBTQI+ community on June 10

The American Centre, located inside the US Consulate General Chennai, will conduct a panel discussion with young leaders from the the community on 'LGBTQI+ community and questions on belonging'.

The panelists are Natasha, who works at a leading multinational corporation (MNC) in Chennai; Malini Jeevarathnam, filmmaker and founder of Veytikaari Productions; and Chethana, lawyer and founder of SWAN (Safe Workplace Network). Vasanth Venkatachari, Director at Cognizant Technologies, will moderate the panel.

The American Centre is celebrating Pride Month and the programmes on June 10 are anchored around this theme. The centre will also conduct a book-reading session for young children (ages 4 to 8) on diversity.

At 3:30 p.m., Education USA will present a session on 'Diversity and Inclusion in US classrooms'. Diversity and inclusion are key aspects of US higher education that make them stand out to welcome students from different backgrounds.

US Consulate General Chennai's Public Affairs Officer Jennifer Bullock said: "We are excited to welcome the public to the American Centre once again on a Saturday! Our patrons and visitors have been looking forward to a Saturday opening to attend our programs, visit the Centre, and meet our Education USA and US-India Educational Foundation advisors for a long time."

It is to be noted that American Centre has been an integral part of Chennai's cultural and literary landscape for the last 76 years and is a powerhouse of books, discussions, cultural events, and resource materials.

On June 10, the public can access the American Centre without a prior appointment and attend various programmes lined up from morning to evening, in addition to gaining access to thousands of books on varied topics.

To enter the American Centre, visitors are requested to carry an original Indian government-issued photo identity card and enter from the Cathedral Road entrance. Cell phones must be deposited at the security counter of the Consulate General. Other electronic devices, including iPads/smart watches/laptops, etc., are not allowed. Wearing masks is mandatory to enter the building.