When the Supreme Court of India banned homosexual acts under section 377 of the IPC, it made the fact evident that there is place only for cisgenders in India. While rage spread like wildfire and people condemned the Supreme Court, no one thought that it was capable of one single act of humanity towards the LGBT community.
Turns out, it is, at least, towards the transgender people.
Yeah, you read it correctly.
On Tuesday (15th April, 2014), the Supreme Court of India recognized transgender people as third gender, in a landmark ruling. The Supreme Court has ordered the government to provide transgender people with quotas in education and jobs. It has declared discrimination against the transgender community illegal. Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan said, “Transgenders are citizens of this country...and recognition as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human rights issue.”
Impressive, huh?
Well, that was the governmental point of view. Let’s look at the societal point of view.
The society openly discriminates and criticizes the mere existence of transgenders. They are forced to resort to begging or being sexual workers. They are not seen as human beings but as nuisances on the face of the earth. They are oppressed, beaten, publicly humiliated and used for all the wrong reasons. And what “crime” did they commit? They chose a gender opposite to their biological sex.
While we openly rant about the unfairness of section 377, we view transgenders as lesser beings. We think of them as mentally unhinged creatures that may lash out at any given moment and are intimidated or shy away from them if they come near. Have we ever thought that they act weirdly and are intimidating (apparently) because the way the society treats them? Give it a thought, will you?
We must begin by changing our views and of the others. A message delivered through social media by a celebrity (cinema, sports, etc.) during prime viewership time can be really helpful. Awareness campaigns and gender sensitization studies in school can also be introduced. More stringent laws can be made for their protection.
Let’s just face it. We are humans, so are they.
-Sara Ansari
Turns out, it is, at least, towards the transgender people.
Yeah, you read it correctly.
On Tuesday (15th April, 2014), the Supreme Court of India recognized transgender people as third gender, in a landmark ruling. The Supreme Court has ordered the government to provide transgender people with quotas in education and jobs. It has declared discrimination against the transgender community illegal. Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan said, “Transgenders are citizens of this country...and recognition as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human rights issue.”
Impressive, huh?
Well, that was the governmental point of view. Let’s look at the societal point of view.
The society openly discriminates and criticizes the mere existence of transgenders. They are forced to resort to begging or being sexual workers. They are not seen as human beings but as nuisances on the face of the earth. They are oppressed, beaten, publicly humiliated and used for all the wrong reasons. And what “crime” did they commit? They chose a gender opposite to their biological sex.
While we openly rant about the unfairness of section 377, we view transgenders as lesser beings. We think of them as mentally unhinged creatures that may lash out at any given moment and are intimidated or shy away from them if they come near. Have we ever thought that they act weirdly and are intimidating (apparently) because the way the society treats them? Give it a thought, will you?
We must begin by changing our views and of the others. A message delivered through social media by a celebrity (cinema, sports, etc.) during prime viewership time can be really helpful. Awareness campaigns and gender sensitization studies in school can also be introduced. More stringent laws can be made for their protection.
Let’s just face it. We are humans, so are they.
-Sara Ansari