You have seen them begging at traffic signals and asking shopkeepers for money. Most of the times, you ignore or shy away from helping them. Why?
Fear.
Fear of the unknown.
Your world is too perfect to understand the challenges they face and why working in the mainstream is not possible for them. You wonder why they have to knock on the window pane and why can’t they work for a living? Did you also know that when they start filling job applications, they need to pick between an M or an F? The system doesn’t recognize them.
Did you know India is home to 50 to 100 million people who are gay, lesbian or bisexual? How many of the people from LGBT community can get a respectable job? I don’t have a number there to share with you.
However, I have a ray of hope that’s shining brightly in Mumbai since early this year.
Providing employment is a great step in building financial independence and self-respect. This also opens up a career option for the community and encourages many others to join. Acceptance in the society will be another added positive to the initiative.
India is a diverse country and now is the time to show this through our workforce. Now is the time to challenge things, do what’s right and not do what’s always been done.
I am with the LGBT community as they take strides for their betterment and I am sure you are with me. Aren’t you?
I am blogging from A to Z during April and the theme I have chosen is set on women. I am also a minion on co-host Pam’s Unconventional Alliance along with Claire, Shalini and Rajlakshmi. Visit us, show us some love and don’t leave without sharing your thoughts.
happiness and food 
A great post, thank you. Many things I didn’t know and learned form reading it.
We keep fighting against discrimination of all kinds, including in support of the LGBT community. Here in the U.S., we keep pushing for it, though it’s an uphill battle.
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Another good initiative I saw was in Thailand. The Alcazar show (music, dance) in Pattaya is performed entirely by the third gender performers-and it is stunning. They have a respectable, maybe enviable work.
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One of the first steps is to let them fill the form with the third gender as it becomes ‘legal’. Next is equal opportunities for them. I just wish, people stop using superstition to harrass them. I have seen a tremendous change in how we are reacting to them now.
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Parul most of the country is ill-informed, hence information is the first step. Next comes acceptance and then the last would be action towards their upliftment. Glad to hear about the Wings Rainbow Project. Let there be light in their dark murky lives!
@KalaRavi16 from
Relax-N-Rave
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I am glad you choose to write about the LGBT who suffers from violent prejudice, denied human rights and housing facilities. I have a friend who faces the ire of conservative minds. A great post.
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Are you sure they are really LGBT? Most are men masquerading as women only to frighten people into giving them money. I’d heard that once Citibank employed them to recover money from EMI payment defaulters.
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They are pretty scary and freak me out every time they get into trains and I’m alone or something.
But I guess that’s because of our weird preconceptions and notions. They surely deserve another chance. And Wings Rainbow will surely add new colour to their lives 🙂
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We are so often driven by our pre-conceived notions & like you rightly mentioned ‘fear of the unknown’ that we are prompt in judging and take forever to reach out and help.
I believe it will begin with allowance of a column of a third gender in the applications and allowing them a fair chance in the workforce to the genuinely deserving candidates. Kudos to initiatives like Wings Rainbow Project.
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Much needed post Parul. My heart bleeds for them. Tamanna the movie was well made and Paresh Rawal in the lead made me shed tears. We need to acknowledge, accept and hope one day they will have normal lives too.
http://www.sunilavigauthor.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/lakshagraha-lacquer-palace-letter-l-to.html
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Once they realise that society accepts them …it would be easier for them to find and job and work. But first, we need to be an open minded society. I am glad there are organisations that are creating awareness and working for the welfare of people belonging to LGBT community.
A Whimsical Medley
Twinkle Eyed Traveller
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Great post
Generally ppl don’t accept it . At least some initiatives have been taken .
Let us think over it . its a great issue .
hope their condition will change
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Yes, I am with them, I always wanted to do something to improve their lives. You brilliant post just rekindled it. I hope to open an NGO someday and give the much-required dignity that they deserve.
Ramya from Words & Me
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Of course…everybody should have a right to love whom they wish to. who are we to stand in judgement of love.
Shubhangi @ The Little Princess
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True – all for equality!
Tina From
The Sunny Side of Life
Twinkling Tina Cooks
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Yes, I am with them. But in the United States, the fight for equality is constant. In North Carolina, for some of the LGBT community, it has become a public battle with a law passed limiting rights to use public restrooms. One of the few bright sides was that certain large employers fought back, stating they wanted to protect the rights of their workers – all of their workers – and they brought financial pressure to bear on the governor of the state. The story of what will finally happen is still not fully written.
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I”m all for doing what’s right. YAY for jobs and providing for your needs!
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I’m with anything that makes sense and sounds right. This is one such thing too.
I think we all have the right to choose the way we want to live and whom to love. It’s is nobody else’s business.
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That sounds like a very encouraging project by Wings Travel. It is time for each and every one of us in every society to have the chance to have the same rights as others and put our skills to use, developing our interests along the way. It is sad that in such a modern world society still discriminates against those who don’t fit a box. In reality, all of us are different from the colour of our eyes, colour of our skin, how much hair we have, the food we eat and of course sexual orientation and preferences. In Australia, we have a long way to go before achieving such equality but voices advocating for rights for all are getting louder each day.
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I was, am and will be with the community. They’re normal human beings, just like us. If they’re born different, then there’s nothing they can do about it and it is not their fault either. We just got lucky. And they didn’t. Simple.
The initiative to provide employment to them is a great start towards changing things and acceptance towards the third gender.
Well done Parul 🙂
Cheers
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