Overview

• A viral clip this week showed Thirumavalavan’s April 12 comments at a Coimbatore student forum, reigniting criticism from LGBTQIA+ activists.
• In the footage, the VCK leader described love between men as “perversion” when responding to a student’s question on Tamil philosophical concepts of love.
• On Monday, he issued a public apology on X, expressing remorse for the offense caused to sexual minority communities.
• LGBTQIA+ organizations have dismissed the apology as insufficient, calling for concrete policy steps and stronger party commitments.
• The fallout has revealed fractures between social justice rhetoric and conservative attitudes within Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK alliance.