I am really not sure where to start. Should I talk about the degeneration of human values or the importance of equality laws? I am so outraged with what happened to Laxmi at the Bombay Gymkhana. Are we still living in the fucking 1900s under the East India Colony. Because that is what seems to be happening to the “premier” (my foot!) club in Mumbai. This is nothing but a frightening reminder of the colonized past and reflects the prejudice and insecurity of those few.
What happened to Laxmi is a slap on the face not only to the Queer community but to a fellow human and to the organization (TED) that invited her to talk. Kudos to all those who showed their solidarity and walked out of the conference in support of Laxmi. Shame on you, Bombay Gymkhana! Actually, let me put it another way that your dumb-witted prejudiced rat-ass of a brain could understand, Fuck You!
Don’t you think it is about time prominent celebrities come out in the open and withdraw their memberships? Each member should ask themselves if they would like to be part of a “privilieged” organization that is so bigoted? Do you really want to be part of a Klan that discriminates and looks down upoin certain communities? Because, if you don’t believe in your righteous virtues; if you do not stand for what you believe in, and step in now for another fellow human, there will be no one left out when you fight your war. Reminds me of the lines from “First they came…” by Martin Niemöller on “German Intellectuals” inaction against the Pogrom,
THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.
THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
THEN THEY CAME for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.
THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.”
At a time when the whole world is getting progressive and moving towards equality, we find ourselves pulled back by such morons who have lost all self-respect.
Note:
I observed that a lot of news articles and blogs had used the word Sexuality. Being transgender is not about Sexuality. It is about Gender Variance and is vastly different from Sexuality. It is about a sense of feeling of misfit between the physical body and the mind. Gender Variance is about what you feel like. Sexuality is about whom you are attracted to. Like everyone else, transpeople, (irrespective of whether they identify themselves as male, female or anywhere in between) can be attracted to the same sex, opposite sex, both sexes or none at all. Let’s respect and accept the diversity in the human population. Let’s respect the uniqueness of each individual. This is not a choice we make. We are hard-wired from birth and would like to live a positive, productive life like the rest.
Let’s create a world that is inclusive rather than being exclusive aka privileged aka premier.
Let’s create a world that is respectful of every individual’s decision to live a life they want and the personal choices they make.
Let’s create a world where we look at an individual for what they are rather than for what they feel like or whom they are attracted to.
we cannot be equally powerful, but we may be equally free!!
fantastic post!
Righty put; its just not about belonging to a minority camp but in fact has a lot to do with an individual’s basic rights. Incidents like these makes one wonder how long with it take for the Queer folks in this country to breath freely.
As Chicklet mentioned, fantastic post. Hopefully people reading this will take its words seriously.
@MJ, Chicklet…Thanks folks. I feel proud that the few who were there in the dinner chose to walk out with her. This is a great display of solidarity given a lot of them in our society are more worried about “OMG! what would my neighbour talk about me?” rather than really thinking if its “right or wrong”.
[…] other Transgender news, Bombay Gymkhana kicked out a ghar aayi hui Lakshmi. Club officials barged into a TedxMumbai event and demanded that […]