Transgender day for visibility, for us in the LGBTAQ community, is more than an annual day for celebration of transgendered and gender non conforming folks. It is a day to remind us as well the society at large of the presence of those who many would like to be unseen. For the transgendered community, neglect and the denial of human rights has become more of a norm something which they have fought and would continue fighting for.
One of the most visible members of the rainbow community, transgendered individuals are neglected and often are victim of violent crimes. Their fight ranges from basics like the right to gender neutral toilets to the right to a dignified life. A large section of the community still have to beg for a living despite them being educated as employers shy away from the providing the opportunities which they deserve. Things have changed with many companies and government bodies ready to provide transgendered individual opportunities. These are baby steps towards a more inclusive society where people are judged based on their merit and not on their gender or sexuality.
On this day of trans visibility, there are some things which we should remember before we fold up the rainbow flag. Human gender expression is a complex phenomenon and to judge someone based on their gender expression would be akin to judging a book just by its cover. The simple dignity that has to be accorded to every human being is not a courtesy but a right. Often deprived and ridiculed transgendered individuals are more likely to face violence than any one else. Their fight for justice for equal rights and for basic rights of human beings is a long way from completion. This year, on this day of Trans visibility all we can ask is to be treated as a fellow human being and not an oddity.
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