Change The Conversation: Shedding Light On The Lives Of Transgenders

Originally published at lmt-lss.com on January 23, 2016.

India will see true progress the day we change our perception about people.

We’re guilty for recoiling in our rickshaws or cabs when a member of the transgender community approaches us. We turn a blind eye to their presence and continue tapping our cellphones, hoping and praying they go away. We shun these transgenders and call them derogatory terms like chakka.

The transgender community in India dates back to 4,000 years. While they were respected for centuries as spiritual figures in society and bearers of luck and fertility, they face discrimination and judgment in modern-day society. They’re stopped from having an identity and often subjected to violence and prejudice.

Jhatkaa, a campaigning organisation that focuses on creating change in the world, released a video about Suma, a member of the transgender community. Here’s the video of her bravery, strength, and courage to make a difference in India.