Consul General Patti Hoffman (center in red shirt with scarf) launched the fourth edition of the Queer Games Northeast India 2021, spearheaded by local nonprofit Ya-All, during a trip to Manipur, March 25–26. The founder of Ya-All, Sadam Hanjabam, relied on peer support from the U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata’s ongoing Rainbow Talks series, which brings together activists from LGBTQI+ communities across the consular district. Hoffman traveled to Manipur to inaugurate a Centers for Disease Control-supported transgender health and welfare clinic in Imphal—the capital. During her visit, she spoke with Sadam and members of India’s first-ever queer football team about the challenges and successes of LGBTQI+ communities in northeastern India.
Photo by Nayantara Shroff