Pride Month

 “It takes no compromise to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.” - Harvey Milk

That is what we commemorate and celebrate every June with Pride Month. Re-Link - Deepa Agarwal, Harsh Varma. 

Why Pride and in June?

Pride means it is a promotion of equality and dignity, especially for members from the community. 

• What is LGBTQ+? Umbrella term used for gender identity and sexual orientation. 

When children are born, Q - male or female? They may have different - org, chromosome or identity. Many do not identity, as the same Gender that they were born at the time of born. 

Gender is not same as sexuality. It is what you feel inside. - Gender identity. 

Sexuality is who you are attracted to. It is not what you feel inside. It is who I want to have sex with. 

Not all asexual people are aromatic. All these are labels. Only an individual can decide who they are and what they should do.

We need to treat all with respect. It is up to us to learn more. 

LGBTQQIP2SAA stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit (2S), androgynous and asexual. 

Movies:

• Moonlight
• Broken back mountain
• Carol
• Tangerine

Understanding Gender Dysphoria. - It is not a matter of choice, but a difficult process. 

Gender Dysphoria is the discomfort  a person has to the gender assigned at the time of birth. 

Transgender people - Medical transition, social transition. Identification difference. 

Hijra: A well-defined community led by a Guru. Other common term used to refer is kinnar. Trans-woman relate more to feminine characteristics. Person join this community, because they have no where else to go. Not all transgender join this community, and not in this community are transgender. Most people here are Transwomen - because they are assigned male at the time of birth, but have feminine characteristic. 

• History and the current state

The famous stonewall inn is in NewYork, where this is started, in 1969 after the riots. First Gay pride in 1970. First in India in 1999 in Calcutta with few friends walking together. 2001 Naz foundation. 2014, -not a mental health issue. Nalsa Judgement. 

1860, Sec. 377 introduced - British brought to India, 2018 reading down of section 377.  

Electrocuted - with people changing gender. District magistrate can give the approval, if the concerned person requests.

• Challenges of the community members – society as well as the workplace 

Current reality - revelling has lot of questions around it. People are only partially out of the closet. Comming out is upto the individual. People don't come out, because they feel others will not accept them, dont feel safe to come out - there is lot of residue - having experienced physical and emotional violence, organisations don't have policy, denied entry into some places, was made legal in 2010 and again illegal in 2013. For lot of people it is a reality, that is hidden, and the productivity is effected. 

Marriage is a very important thing and so is having children. For those for whom it is natural, the question is common, but for others, it becomes difficult. 

• Ways in which we can be supportive

Stop microaggression - statements made in the passing, may be out of curiosity, depicting bias we carry. Watch out the language we use when talking to them. 

❖Make everyday conversations gender neutral wherever possible. Spouse instead of wife / husband; Partner instead of girlfriend / boyfriend. 

❖Use one’s chosen name over legal names irrespective of how you perceive them. Cisgender / Transgender

❖Make them inclusive. Don’t assume an individual’s partner should be of the opposite gender. 

❖Do NOT nudge a colleague as to when they plan to get married (with the opposite gender)

❖Unlearn the inner bias, redefine what is normal and moral. Acknowledge colleagues for who they are.

❖Respect individual’s choice of pronouns, ask not assume. Some prefer They/them/their to She / He

If you identify as an Ally or not:

❖Be visible and approachable, lead by example.

❖Stand up to homophobia & transphobia at your immediate workplace.

❖Sign up in your Employee network as an Ally to the community.

Documented evidence of homosexuality is found in several hundred non human species, but homophobia is found in only ONE ! 

Hetro-normativity is all around us, in our every walk of life. It prevents one from understanding what is different from them and then teaches one to hate what they don’t understand, by unlearning and by redefining is how we get diverse and inclusive.

• Surfacing the dilemmas of the non-LGBTQ+ community as well

Being Transgender is not the only identity of your friend, they are a person first. Very informative.