THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The feeling of love is not bound by gender and it should not be judged as something that deserves lewd remarks, said Daya Gayathri, a queer activist and model. The transwoman was talking at a session on ‘the woman’s love life across the genders’ at the Lesbian Visibility Week celebrations organised by Queerythm that kicked off on Monday.
Speaking to TNIE, Daya said that even though the mindset of people has changed when it comes to accepting the LGBTQ community, there need to be more open discussions on the issues affecting them. “Compared to the time when trans people were not even regarded as human beings, we have come a long way. Change is needed and it should be continuous. I believe our distinctive identities are part of diversities of nature,” she said.
Engaging in a conversation about the lesbian community, Daya says, there is a false belief that only cisgender(a person whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth) women are lesbians. “This is wrong, there are lesbians among transwomen and inside transgender communities too. That being said, one should not think of LGBTQ communities and their sexuality as obscene. We are also individuals with emotions. We also love our partners and that does not mean just sex. It is a wrong notion that needs to be changed,” she said.
Daya remembered how she has witnessed many cases where the girls who come out as lesbians undergo physical assault from their families. “People should learn to respect the identity of another individual. Most sexual assaults are done by straight people, not the gay community. We are not the bad elements,” she stressed.
Daya also addressed the need to view the lesbian community through a positive eye and give them platforms to open up. “I am a pansexual transwoman but long back, I had a lesbian partner. More literary works and films should be made on the matter y would also familiarise people,” she said.
Concluding the conversation, Daya added that she has received many queries from the young generation about the identity crisis. “We need to accept our children the way they are instead of abusing them or abandoning them. Many youngsters open up to me about their identity crisis. I advise them is to secure a good academic record and own a job, so others will treat you like a citizen and respect your identity. This way, you can make changes to their judgement on the LGBTQ community,” she said.