We went on a quest to assemble a collection of LGBTQ+ tales across India, and found that the road leading to their rights is riddled with prejudices despite their tenacity and the dedication of activists.
The coverage at Village Square has always included the voices of the LGBTQ+ community. Over the last year too, we have told stories about their struggles, victories and other experiences from various parts of the country.
From the northeast, we found that the Mizoram government’s proposal to create shelter homes for abandoned and destitute transgender people was dropped due to harassment and intimidation directed towards the LGBTQ minority. The story, titled Not all rainbows for trans people in Mizoram, pointed out how the state shows a paradox. At 91.33 percent, it has one of the highest literacy rates in the country and is a highly progressive society open to modern views. Still, it eyes transgender people with deep suspicion and hate.
Public sentiments are ambiguous in this hill state of just over a million people. Some view transgender people as the result of bad karma from previous lives. Many are made to believe that they suffer from an illness that can be cured.
Hundreds of miles from Mizoram, we met Padma Lakshmi, Kerala’s first transgender attorney, who advocates for transgender people who have long hidden their gender identities out of desperation for acceptance. However progressive Kerala’s culture may be, non-traditional sexual standards are frequently regarded with shame and isolation in the state.
Padma’s own experience inspired her to help others accept their identities and defend their rights. Her ultimate objective in becoming a lawyer was to fight inequity, assist transgender people with legal issues, and motivate and encourage them to live free from prejudice, violence and threats through motivational talks.
“I am going to fight against inequality faced by the transgender community. Now I have the power to fight for justice. I need everyone’s support,” she told Village Square.
The deeply rooted prejudice against the LGBTQIA+ population in rural areas, where there is a dearth of information and conversation surrounding their rights, has not been significantly reduced by India’s legalisation of homosexuality.
‘Urban’ LGBTQIA+ vs queerness in rural India, a story from Himachal Pradesh, talks about how caste prejudice and elitism within urban queer circles make it more difficult for those from marginalised backgrounds to obtain equal rights and recognition. Public sentiments are ambiguous in rural India, where traditional values often clash with gender and sexual expression outside the gender binary norms. People’s ignorance, compounded by misinformation, pushes non-binary children into unrelenting bullying and harassment.
In neighbouring Punjab, a small-town lesbian couple awaiting the court’s decision on same-sex marriages remains hopeful despite challenges and opposition from their families. They now live together with the help of LGBTQ+ organisations.
These are stories of hope, resilience and human bonds. They serve as a reminder of the constant work being done to encourage diversity and build an all-inclusive society in the country.
The lead image at the top show in rural India, homosexuality is still discouraged (Illustration by Pratik Bhide)
