If life is a rainbow, with hues merging into each other yet separated by their own distinctive colour, how can we not see the beauty of each colour and embrace the rainbow? The pain of sexual and gender minorities, the ongoing battles for equality and the need to gain acceptance prove that the majority still views the world in binaries.
To encourage everyone to look beyond the binaries, SAATHII charitable trust celebrated the anniversary of the Naz verdict of 2009 which decriminalised homosexual acts in India, and conducted a panel discussion on 'LGBTIQA+ inclusion in India: Past, Present and Future' at Asha Nivas recently, in collaboration with Orinam and CSS Corp.
The event paid homage to the queer historian and writer, Saleem Kidwai, who passed away in August 2021, by screening the documentary, 'Queering the Pitch: Life and Times of Saleem Kidwai', produced by Nirantar, a feminist NGO.
Untold stories
Sharing their personal experiences, the panellists from the LGBTIQA+ community drew a clear picture of their ongoing personal battles. Alex Murgaboopathy, a non-binary person and a volunteer at Orinam, stated that the biggest challenge as an LGBTIQA+ person is self-acceptance.
"As a person who was born and brought up in Port Blair, I wasn't aware of gender identity, sexual orientation, and the presence of such a community. Due to the ignorance and lack of confidence, coming out to myself was the biggest challenge," they shared.
When they did come out, the next challenge to overcome was acceptance in the family and society. This was also the case with Bhuvi, a training lead at CSS Corp, who identifies themself as non-binary and pansexual.
"In my conservative Brahmin family, it was taboo to talk about the community. They couldn’t accept anything other than heterosexuality. They married me off when I was 21; I survived physical and mental abuse. I struggled to a point where I thought about ending my existence," they expressed.
While many grapple with no support from their biological family, Janmesh, a queer teenager, sitting in the audience, revealed how he educated his mother, Hamsavalli. "My mother had no misconceptions, but she was unaware of the community. I made her watch queer-friendly YouTube videos and spoke about the struggles of being a queer person. She lovingly accepted me and supports me every day," he said.
Applauding to that, the panellists asserted the need to educate everyone, especially parents about medical terminology associated with the community.
Hopes for future
Reciting Rabindranath Tagore's 'Where the mind is without fear', Alex added that there should be sensitisation in education, healthcare and employment to achieve "personal freedom". The panellists also emphasised the need for inclusive healthcare.
Felix, a cis gender gay man and volunteer of Orinam, remarked, "We should begin by evaluating how many have access to healthcare and then, spread awareness about STIs and STDs."
Furthering this argument, ShwethaShri, a trans woman and member of the NGO Thozhi, spoke in favour of the necessity for medical insurance. She said, "There should be insurance provided for gender affirmation surgeries and treatments as a lot of individuals are struggling with low wages and no work."
Acknowledging the call for a new curriculum in hospitals and schools, Dr Satish Kumar, country director at SAATHII, summed up the discussion, "With LGBTQIA+ inclusive curriculums and proper training of employees in all the sectors, hopefully we will see a change."