Late transgender activist Anannyah's father to flag off Kerala Queer Pride march

Kollam: The eleventh edition of the Queer Pride organised by the LGBTQ communities kick-started in Kerala's Kollam district on Saturday.

The two-day event includes an art exhibition, documentary screening and discussions. The Queer Pride parade to be held on Sunday will be inaugurated by transgender activist Anannyah's father. It will be followed by a public meeting and cultural programmes.

Celebrities including Parvathy Thiruvothu, Ranjini Haridas, Jeo Baby, Rachana Narayanan and Akshay Radhakrishnan have endorsed the event on social media.

Meanwhile, the organisers of the event remembered activist Anannyah ahead of the Queer Pride.

"This year's Queer Pride will be marked by Anannyah's absence. The fact that she is not attending the Pride held in her own city brings great sorrow to us. How will we celebrate in her absence? We shall begin this year's march with Anannyah. Her father will flag off the Pride march this year. Anannyah Kumari Alex- always with us," the Facebook post read.

Anannyah Kumari Alex, a social activist who was the first transgender to contest assembly elections in the state, had committed suicide last year. The death snowballed into a controversy after allegations surfaced that she committed the extreme step following a botched sex reassignment surgery by a private hospital in Kochi.