I came across a disgruntled and fiery verbal out pour in a social
networking site. I
plead ignorance to the intended target of the abuse,thanks to the generous spate of insensitivity, the diction read a lot like...blah blah blah..this is not a shikandi prasthanam...blah blah blah..aanum pennum kettatu..blah blah blah To get a better picture,I forced a second read. It was a frustrated venting on what could be called as " lack of spine".The venting itself is perfectly justified,and there is ample place for that in many forums.But my question is,what is with the usage like 'aanum pennum kettatu' or shikandi in the context of being 'cowardly./confused'. Such usages are outright sexist,and demeaning of ones identity.Words covertly meaning transgender are used as a handy slur in agitated grumblings.The transgender identity is a dignified a state,of mind and body as much as that of a male or a female.Identity is each one's right.
A few days back,while waiting for an appointment,I got to see a kannada film.The 15 minutes comprised of a rather imposing transgender,dressed in a glitzy sari,flowers adorning the long plated hair,a large bindi.A side kick to the villain,she is a conniving shrewd.The flinging of hair,the grimace,the walk,all captured in an all too familiar slow motion.This is an oft-repeated scene in mainstream cinema,across the border.For one,this is stereotype on mannerisms.More cynical is that, the 'non-conformity' of transgender is equated with negative characteristics.As far as the audience goes,it requires a conscious effort from their part to question such narratives.But,mostly they remain complacent.So,the message that sticks with them is only the 'obvious'--transgender=non-
plead ignorance to the intended target of the abuse,thanks to the generous spate of insensitivity, the diction read a lot like...blah blah blah..this is not a shikandi prasthanam...blah blah blah..aanum pennum kettatu..blah blah blah To get a better picture,I forced a second read. It was a frustrated venting on what could be called as " lack of spine".The venting itself is perfectly justified,and there is ample place for that in many forums.But my question is,what is with the usage like 'aanum pennum kettatu' or shikandi in the context of being 'cowardly./confused'. Such usages are outright sexist,and demeaning of ones identity.Words covertly meaning transgender are used as a handy slur in agitated grumblings.The transgender identity is a dignified a state,of mind and body as much as that of a male or a female.Identity is each one's right.
A few days back,while waiting for an appointment,I got to see a kannada film.The 15 minutes comprised of a rather imposing transgender,dressed in a glitzy sari,flowers adorning the long plated hair,a large bindi.A side kick to the villain,she is a conniving shrewd.The flinging of hair,the grimace,the walk,all captured in an all too familiar slow motion.This is an oft-repeated scene in mainstream cinema,across the border.For one,this is stereotype on mannerisms.More cynical is that, the 'non-conformity' of transgender is equated with negative characteristics.As far as the audience goes,it requires a conscious effort from their part to question such narratives.But,mostly they remain complacent.So,the message that sticks with them is only the 'obvious'--transgender=non-
Recently , a teen was ruthlessly
murdered
after he was discovered to be a transgender..He was brutally mobbed,and
the parents wouldn't claim the body
for the shame it entailed.Though this happened in Africa,we in india,
don't have many reasons to pride ourselves.They are ostracized and many a
times cast away from their hometown. They build
their own communities,more often in big cities.The mostly held
perception among my friends in Bangalore is based only on the brief
encounters with them at the traffic stops.For the urban crowd,they are
just a group who sing and clap and ask money at the signals.
What remains hidden is the lack of oppurtunity and the discrimination meted out, making it hard for them to get a career available to the 'normal' people.Many are driven to earn a living as sex workers.Bangalore's Majestic subway is a known 'pick-up' point.They proceed callously,through the hussle and bustlle.Right there,is the vicious circle operating,and it could very well remain the same for decades.Where the identity itself isn't acknowledged,all other things become secondary.Volunteer organisations often bring to light are many instances where they are denied timely attention in hospitals,citing lame excuses as to which ward are they to be accommodated. They often need the assistance of NGOs to assert the basic rights available to 'normal' citizens.In the majority of application forms and in legal transactions,there is place only for an M or an F within the boxes! Of course,it can be left unfilled but it speaks volumes about the 'don't ask don't say' policy'. This absence intimidates even those who want to come out of the closets.
For the very reason that it's
exclusionist,the main stream gender
perception is
problematic.Its always aligned with binary of male/female as is taught
in
the biology classes. .The 'he' and 'she'
reproduce to make,again, a male or a female.Simple.Binary.Life goes
on.Since the male and the
female is
dealt extensively at the secondary levels in schools, at the least,it
warrants an acknowledgement of transgender as a different
possibility.Thinking that I might be proved wrong,I set out to explore
my 9th grader niece's biology text.But,I wasn't.Nothing much has changed
since my schooldays in this respect.I don't find the term in
her book,although it deals with the other two genders profusely. She
tells me that slurs
meaning to be transgender are something they use to poke fun at each
other.Intentionally or otherwise, an identity is reduced to an adjective
or a slur.True,
that transgender is a complex topic and is
an umbrella term accommodating many differences.But,does that justify
the omission,which is a scientific reality? The
text books also follow a silent policy which goes hand in hand with a
society obsessed with the binary.The secretive and mystery element
feeds unto itself,making way for much demeaning and insensitive
behavior.Open
discourses will have to proceed with legal concurrence in acknowledging
the transgender identity and mitigating the negative construct of
the majority imposed on them.What remains hidden is the lack of oppurtunity and the discrimination meted out, making it hard for them to get a career available to the 'normal' people.Many are driven to earn a living as sex workers.Bangalore's Majestic subway is a known 'pick-up' point.They proceed callously,through the hussle and bustlle.Right there,is the vicious circle operating,and it could very well remain the same for decades.Where the identity itself isn't acknowledged,all other things become secondary.Volunteer organisations often bring to light are many instances where they are denied timely attention in hospitals,citing lame excuses as to which ward are they to be accommodated. They often need the assistance of NGOs to assert the basic rights available to 'normal' citizens.In the majority of application forms and in legal transactions,there is place only for an M or an F within the boxes! Of course,it can be left unfilled but it speaks volumes about the 'don't ask don't say' policy'. This absence intimidates even those who want to come out of the closets.
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