After working with them and knowing the kind of bold and beautiful persona they make, I was always put to thought whether we are ready to embrace them as one amongst us, or whether they are ready to open up and come out openly and live as one amongst us.
Is the answer still a big ‘NO’?
Recently I saw a very familiar face in my office. I felt I had seen this person; interacted with; shook hands with, but this person was avoiding me. This pushed me to think more about this person, an interest to know why this person was avoiding me when we have met and have shared few good conversations in the past when I was actively involved in working for Human Rights.
Few days went on like this. Even I pretended to not know this person, avoided looking at this person as I did not want that person to feel uncomfortable, neither I wanted to ask decisively with an intention to save the identity and confidentiality.
But one day in the pantry suddenly I saw that person waiting to talk to me. To my surprise, after a span of 4 months this person spoke to me in a low voice. “Hi, how are you, I thought of speaking to you many times, but I could not gather courage as I was scared that others in the office would know the other side of me. I know that you know me, kindly do not divulge my identity, I fear them.” I just stared for a minute and rushed to know what made this person hide the identity, as this person was known for being bold and was fighting for the rights of identity of transgender.
I asked this person what problems may occur in an MNC like this because there is no sexual orientation discrimination according to our code of conduct; so what is there to fear? When Indian Judiciary has given formal recognition; when a city like Kolkata (city of joy) has welcomed India’s first transgender principal, why wouldn’t a city like Bangalore do it?
This is when that person opened up and said, “This is why I had to leave my home, my family, my town, previous organization. I have been disowned by my own people for divulging my identity. My parents and my siblings thought I was crazy and this could be cured through some treatment with a physiatrist. Female colleagues in my past organization started distancing themselves from me and pretended to be scared when alone with me. My boss started taking advantages, I’m fed up. The laws are just on papers, society still treats us as unnaturals and generally as objects of ridicule.”
We had to stop our conversation as other colleagues got in for a tea break. I greeted silently and assured that confidentiality will be maintained in this regard.
But this conversation left me thinking. Since gender is taken to mean only male and female, the eunuchs, transsexuals and transgenders cannot effectively exercise or avail benefits/facilities available to the male and female genders.
I endorse Justice Seth opinion about treating Section 377 as Delhi High Court treated it, it would certainly create more sense of oneness and people would come out openly for leading a normal life. Every person must have the right to decide his/her gender expression and identity. Why treat them like criminals or treat them as disempowered and deprived group in our society?
Just law is not sufficient to change the situation, it is our mindset in the society that should open up and embrace them. I wish not to see them at traffic signals begging, but to grow with us and walk in all fields of career and achieve to contribute at all levels to make better Indian citizen.
Will the bold Indian ad about Lesbian Couple make an impact on us and help us think deeper to break all the norms and welcome them as one amongst us? Will the Fireflies……………….FLY!
