LGBTQ community :a miniscule fraction or a precious jewel in enriching indias's diversity

LGBTQ community :a miniscule fraction or a precious jewel in enriching indias's diversity

(By Neha Soni ) 

Image By:- Darshika Singh

LGBTQ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.

• Lesbian - It is a word which is associated with women. It describes the sexuality of women. A woman is attracted to another woman romantically.

• Gay - It is a word that is generally used for men. It describes the sexuality of men. A man is attracted to another man romantically.

• Bisexual - It is a term which can be used either for men or women. A person who is romantically attracted to men and women. This attraction does not have to be equally split between genders and there may be a preference for one gender over others.

• Transgender - It is a term which can be used either for men or women. It is an umbrella term that describes people whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, a transgender person may identify as a woman despite having been born with male genitalia.

• Queer - It is a term which can be used either for men or women. It means that a person is not straight. They are different. They are under the process of identifying their sexuality.

Section 377

Section 377 says that whoever voluntarily has done intercourse with any male, female or animal shall be punished for imprisonment for life which may extend to ten years, and shall along with being answerable to fine.

However, in a historic verdict, the Supreme Court of India on September 6, 2018, decriminalised the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and allowed LGBTQ community to live and choose their sexuality freely.

LGBTQ community situation in India

India has an estimated 4.8 million transgender people, known as hijras. Transgender people are recognised as the third gender and can change their identity on certain forms and documents to this, although they are not allowed by law as yet to change their legal name. Since 1997, transgender has been by doing entitled to the similar pay as males and females for having the similar job.

LGBTQ people in India are unlikely to lead out to their families for startle of humiliating their parents. Society is usual and women are expected to marry, often in decided marriages. Society is slowly changing, even though, thanks to a vocal LGBTQ community and numerous Pride events all over India, as well as LGBTQ cultural festivals.

Indian companies do not tend to accept diversity in their workplaces, even though Indian organization is appropriately diverse in elaborate ways. Some multinationals meet the expense of diversity training and have strict inclusivity policies but generally speaking, LGBTQ people may be subject to taking away, bullying and misunderstanding at the workplace. Again, this is slowly varying, particularly with the change in the law in 2018.

Inspiring LGBTQ individuals

It has never been easy for a person belonging to the LGBTQ community in our country. Though things have begun to see occurring a little later than more preparedness and inclusive attitudes amidst the people, it wasn't always the war. Amidst the structured societal norms and taboos, some people took to drama to be themselves, irrespective of what got thrown in their quirk.

Here are some of the dexterously-known figures from the LGBTQ community in India who have chosen to crack the barriers and stand for themselves:

• Vikram Seth - Vikram Seth is best known for his novel A Suitable Boy and is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the time. His mother, Justice Leila has been openly in support of him and is a strong supporter of the gay rights movement. Her disapproval of Section 377 is known to the world.

• Gauri Sawant - Gauri Sawant is a transgender campaigner who was born as Ganesh but emerged victorious nearby an organization that wasn't all too accommodating towards transgender. From opting to standing for her identity to adopting a teenage girl whose mother had passed away, Gauri is an example of individuals who chose to live life according to their wishes.

• Laxmi Narayan Tripathi - A transgender rights volunteer, Hindi film actress and a Bharatanatyam dancer based in Mumbai, Laxmi recognizes herself as a part of the hijra community. In 2002, Laxmi went about speaking on becoming one of the founding members of the Dai Welfare Society, an organisation that works for the transgender community and represented Asia Pacific in the UN in 2008, where she spoke of the plight of sexual minorities in the organization.

• Anjali Ameer - Anjali Ameer, a transsexual actress came from an orthodox Muslim associates from Kozhikode that wasn't utterly in concurrence very more or less her identity. Having to control from dwelling and to the fore-thinking bring to vigour transgender communities in Coimbatore and Bengaluru, Anjali has seen tough days. She underwent hormone replacement surgery at the age of 20. 

The mainstreaming of the LGBTQ community in our country is a process that does not happen overnight. From achieving very old laws to convincing society to take on them as they are, challenges faced by queer people in India are very large.

However, in recent years, there has been increased visibility of people who identify as queer be it in our literature, movies or news media. A large portion of the thanking goes to social media, which has amplified the voice of the marginalized minority. But we yet have a long road to go as each queer voice is different.

Disclaimer:-

The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.