Sruthi Kc

Experience I enjoy travelling, especially to places where there are hidden stories of unique people. My journey started on 16 January 2018. I wanted to write eight articles regarding LGBT discrimination. I was confused about the topic because, I was not much aware of what LGBT is and what rights do they have in the society. After reading plenty of articles and interacting with people related with LGBT activism. I got conquering information about LGBT and the problems they are facing in the society. To know about their way of life I travelled a lot for doing fieldwork. Even some of my friends and family questioned me that why them? People will insult you and make fun of you. I was not ready to listen. I decided to stick on my topic, and bring light towards the injustice they face on a daily basis. LGBT community in India has been facing many problems and they are discriminated from the society. People in the society are not treating them properly or not considering them as human beings. The outskirts of Kerala is still doing atrocities against transgender community, especially in Kozhikode and Ernakulam. More than ten cases have been registered till date. After reading every news what I understood is, even our government has not taken any initiative to protect LGBT and their rights. I never can forget the date on 2 March 2018; I went to Brahmaguri, Udupi to meet a transgender woman named Kajal. Presently she is working as a radio jockey in Mangalore. I reached there after three hours of journey. Once I reached there, I was so curious to know about her. While reading articles I have noticed this name Kajal. Therefore, I had a clear idea about her. Therefore, I interacted with her very friendly and politely. She gave me such wonderful information about her life once she felt that she wants to be like a girl. Her experiences contain bitter taste more. She had to face many difficulties during her studies. She had to face discrimination at every step from the society and family was not supporting her. So, Kajal went to Mumbai to see her community, she had a blurred idea about her community. There she met one transgender woman. She shared her bitter experiences with her. She felt Mumbai is safe and comfortable for her. Her story made me think of society’s attitude towards LGBT is unacceptable. I really wanted to stop such stigmas created by the society towards transgender community. Therefore, I decided to conduct a group interview with transgender community in Mangalore. I met 43 transgender people and I spoke to them. It took more than two hours to finish. They had that much problems and queries. Every question was relevant and represented their wish to live like us. I had many questions about their life, childhood, education, work, culture etc. Some of them were qualified for jobs. Zereena, a transgender woman had completed her 10th, Ganga had finished Degree, and Saraswathi is a B-Com holder. However, they are not getting any jobs because of their gender. They have tried many times but the society’s response was bad towards their needs and wants. Most of them are doing sex work and begging. Then, I went to Kulur, a place nearby Panamboor beach. There I met one transgender woman Ramya. I spoke to her about my project. Her question made me think about the government and media’s useless role. She asked people come to us for their needs it can be sex, or any interview. Starting they may say we can make a change in your community as soon as possible. However, after that they will not come, even once they done with their work they also make fun of us. Why claim that you can bring change when you cannot? “The society is voiceless, and what right does the society have to blame us?” I was very astonished once I heard the question from her mouth and I did not have an answer for her question. Even I was voiceless in front of her question. However, from that moment I started looking for an answer, a reasonable solution as to why people discriminate against their own kind. Nevertheless, unfortunately but I do not have any answer yet. As per the increasing statements on LGBTQ community through plenty of mass media, I came to know that, the society has been hunting transgender community since olden age. I had many thoughts about the unfavorable situation they are facing from the society. After a long journey from Thokkottu to Kuluor (places in Mangalore), it took approximately one and half-hour to reach there. One of my friends was with me, we went by Bike. While going there I met a fisherman, and I asked him the way to reach there. Once he heard my voice, he started giving me he judgmental look. He insulted me through his face, he asked, for what purpose you are going there at this time. The time was about to be night. Then I realized, first the society needs to change their stereotype mentality towards transgender people. Without eradicating that boilerplate, the society never will change. I really want to ask to him the same relevant question Ramya asks. If he is not ready to give a job, what is the right he has to blame us? Before one week, I went to one charitable trust named Parivarthan Charitable Trust in Mangaluru. This charitable trust runs by Violet Pereria a social worker and transgender activist. Violet started the charitable trust to stop extortion faced by transgender community. There I could see many smiling faces because after 25 years 43 transgender people got their voter id card. They will be voting this coming election in Karnataka. There I could see one transgender woman named Sanjana. Presently she is the brand ambassador of Lagori, at a time working as a beautician in Mangaluru. She says I had faced many discrimination problems from my family only; even my family ignored me when I was 15 years old. I realized that before changing the entire society’s attitude, every family has to change their attitude towards transgender people. Because what I understood is most of the transgender people’s family ignored their child only because they are transgender. This mentality needs to be eradicated first. I had conducted phone interview with Akkai Padmasali a transgender activist. Akkai told me the current circumstances of transgender community in India. There are solutions to eradicate stigmatized thoughts towards transgender community. Through giving proper awareness classes in the schools, public places, hospitals, can eradicate this situation forever. They are also human beings like us not scapegoats. They have also right to live and attain education. Instead of blaming them or ignoring them accept them and give them opportunities to live with safely, Akkai Padmasali opined. After finishing the project articles, I am satisfied, because I could change some of my family member’s attitude towards transgender community and they started accepting them and respect them. Even my friends started supporting them by conducting talks and street dramas. The society and the government have to change first. Give them a chance to do works without giving an opportunity we do not have any right to blame them if they are committing sex work or begging. Give them proper awareness programmes about their rights too.