Do not judge a book by its cover- One of the first quotes that we were acquainted with as children. It is amusing how we have gulped down endless works of philosophers and literary laurels without gracing the thought of it. In fact, all of us, judge people firstly and dominantly on their covers and less on the integrity of their characters, or their minds, or their personality.
When people look at transgenders, they see images that do not concur with their real personalities. They have fostered fear and disgust based on the opinions of society. What they do not see is the courage to shred their covers and be known for their story, their belief, and their identity. They do not give in to the façade of the world but follow their true heart and express themselves as a hundred percent as they are. We just need to see their shine, their heart, and not the roles they are defined to. Just because of our preconceived stigmas and beliefs, we could be losing out on a potential leader or an able doctor, or a nurturing teacher. We have the glass between us and the hammer but what we don’t have is the initiative to break the glass and walk past the boundaries.
Several people and organizations who have studied the transgender community feel that they have been subjected to unfair and unjust treatment and have reached out for their betterment. However, when the pandemic hit and shook the entire world, for this community it was like walking on thorns. Many transgenders survived solely from the money earned at weddings and local transportations. With the world shutting down, so did their income. Many people amongst the community felt like a project subject by people who came in and offered condolences when the world was up and normal. Nobody showed up to investigate their well being.
With the stigma that surrounds them, they could not opt for a job that would temporarily ensure a constant inflow of money, at least enough to ensure that they have a meal in their stomach. Even months after the lockdown, transgender people were struggling for basic sustenance. All the government aids had dried up and relief in the forms of ration needed proper ration cards, which a lot of them did not have because of the inability to acquire Aadhar Cards. In their situation, access to aadhaar cards was a herculean task and begging could not get them enough casting aside the ghastly treatment and potential eve-teasing and other crimes they could be subjected to.
Now the question is- All of this for what? For living life on their terms? For choosing how to feel and doing what they feel like with nobody else’s but their own body. For feeling comfortable in their own skin?
It is time we realize that it’s us and not them at wrong. If we managed to have love and respect for people and not nurture the noxious opinions that spread hatred and abhorrence among people, the world would have been a better, safer, and happier place.
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