Let’s Talk
By Snehal Bhosale, PDM 21
(Volume 5: Issue 1)
As our country celebrates 75 years of independence, we (PDM 20, PCM 02 and PCM21) have taken the topic of LGBTQ+ topic, a section of the community that is not enjoying any freedom.
They are hiding their identity in the same nation, afraid to speak out because of societal attitudes towards them. When I think about this topic, I remember in my childhood days, my parents have asked me to avoid them even they forbid me to go to one street where transgender was living. It was one path to my school with less distance but because of the stigma, I usually take the longer route. Because of this, I usually have fear towards them. When I was 21 years old, I attended a lecture on this topic by one Transgender activist. Then only I could able to understand their way of lives, their struggles, challenges even in doing a simple activity. They are disrespected on a daily basis. From that day onwards, my perspective and thought process were totally changed. After hearing her story, I wanted to help those people and increase awareness about them to remove the stigma about them in the society. I am happy to discuss this topic and synthesis the perspectives of the discussion.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) people face tremendous difficulties growing up in a society where heterosexuality is often presented as the only acceptable orientation and homosexuality are considered as Sin. Even in developed countries, homophobic violence and abuse targeting LGBTQ+ people occur regularly. In most of our country, same-sex couples do not enjoy the same rights and protections as opposite-sex couples and accordingly suffer from discrimination and disadvantage in access to social protection schemes, such as health care and pensions. In the labour market, a majority of LGBTQ+ people continue to hide their sexual orientation or endure harassment out of fear of losing their job. Particularly, young people are more vulnerable, who are facing separation from family at a very young age, friendship networks, harassment at school etc. These are leading serious impacts such as underachievement, drop-out, depression, drug addiction, being forced to move out of the families, etc. Even in the developed countries, where there is acceptance, there is also a lack of proper marriage laws, child adoption laws, etc.
Nowadays people are depending on movies, tv serials and social media for society perceptions and adapt same in their real life also. In most of those platforms, LGBTQ+ characters are portrayed as a comedian personality or negative or like some untouchable characters. Few movies talked about LGBTQ status and how they facing problems in our society, that movies such as “Lakshmi – transgender, Fire, Girlfriend (movie was banned), Super deluxe, Hand-Medan, Shubhamangal Jyada Savadhan”. They are also human beings and need to be treated in the same respectable manner.
At the end of discussion few way forward has been discussed such as
- More understanding is needed rather than sympathy.
- Proper laws and policies need to be in place for enabling their legal status, penal laws for violence/abuse against them
- Media need to portray properly and authentically their life and ways
- Sex education to be taught inclusive of LGBTQ+, not only to students but also to the parents
- Everyone should feel safe and comfortable to live their lives peacefully.
Let’s work towards betterment of the various communities and towards an equitable society.
The DHAN Academy 