If they see
breasts and long hair coming
they call it woman,
if beard and whiskers
they call it man:
but, look, the self that hovers
in between
is neither man
nor woman
O Rāmanātha.
-Lingayat poet Devara Dasimayya
The land that once celebrated gender fluidity and blissfully thwarted the gender hierarchies has fallen to the trope of gender binaries. This has resulted in pushing the gender minorities away to the fringes of society. Each day in their lives is nothing less than a struggle and that is no secret.
Yet, it is important to celebrate the achievements of all those from the LGBTQIA+ community who, despite all the obstacles on their way, have reached great heights. And the best way to foster gender sensitization is to be a perfect ally to the community and keep an open heart and mind.
Here’s a list of wonderful people whose posts will not only fill your days with positive energy and the right kind of inspiration but will also enlighten you about the LGBTQIA+ movement :
Dutee Chand
Dutee Chand is a woman of accomplishments. She is an Indian professional sprinter and current national champion in the women’s 100 metres event. She is the first Indian to win a gold medal in a 100m race in a global competition. She is the third Indian woman to ever qualify for the Women’s 100 metres event at the Summer Olympic Games. Also, she is the first Indian athlete to come out as a queer after speaking about her same-sex relationship back in 2019. This was not just a brave move but also a gesture for everyone that she wants to encourage others to live a life without shame.
Trinetra Haldar
A proud transwoman, Trinetra is also a doctor and an influencer. She is known for her many collaborations with brands like Netflix. Her representation in the OTT world has given people perspective and made them aware of the LGBTQ+ community. She talks about her transition openly and addresses multiple questions too, trying her best to create as much awareness as possible. Through her videos, one can understand and gain knowledge about transgenders, their lives, struggles, transitions et al. During the pandemic, she also made use of her social media platform to talk about COVID and its implications and the necessity of vaccines.
Sushant Divgikar
Sushant Divgikar is an extremely popular persona and is also known by his drag name as ‘Rani KoHEnur‘. He was crowned Mr. Gay India in 2014. He is a singer, performer, drag artist, and Reality TV star. He is a singer too and his performances are to die for.
Navtej Johar
Navtej Singh Johar is an Indian Sangeet Natak Akademi-winning Bharatnatyam exponent and choreographer. He is also an LGBTQIA+ activist. Johar is faculty at Ashoka University, Sonipat. He is trained in Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra, a dance school of Rukmini Arundale In Chennai. He has received numerous fellowships for his research such as the Times of India Fellowship (1995), the Charles Wallace Fellowship (1999). He is among the few male dancers of classical form in India and the first Sikh to have taken to the art form.
Menaka Guruswamy and Arundhati Katju
The lawyer duo who was the face of the fight against the draconian colonial-era law, Section 377 came out as a couple in a very brave move. After the September verdict, Guruswamy and Katju became national heroes, and rightly so. They made it to the 2019 TIME 100 Most Influential People list, and their landmark win has since been cited as precedent in the battle against anti-LGBT laws in Kenya. In 2019, Guruswamy and Katju have shed new light on why the repeal of Section 377 was especially profound for them. In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Guruswamy and Katju revealed that their victory was personal as well as professional. For the first time, they came out as a couple, telling him that they are in a relationship with each other while giving us all a new understanding of #couplegoals.
We at Donatekart believe in equal opportunities, equal rights, and inclusion. Above all, we believe that love is love. You can support LGBTQIA+ fundraisers here.
