Bhopal News: LGBTQ+ community faces discrimination, seeks change

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Five years back, Supreme Court partially struck down Article 377 of Constitution and decriminalised homosexuality. But for LGBTQIA+ community, social acceptance is still a far cry from what they are facing. In India, the LGBTQIA+ community has legal rights to self-expression. However, because it is still considered taboo in society, this freedom comes at the cost of their safety, privacy, relationships with their families and mental health. On the eve of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, Free Press tried to see the world from their perspective. Excerpts

People make me feel different and wrong

Pranay Bhowmick, a bisexual, said: "I am lucky that I have a family that accepts me for who I am but society still makes me feel I am different and wrong. My workplace is queer-friendly but not everyone in the office can be accepting, right? The discrimination is not always loud, many times it is very subtle. I feel that I am being excluded from conversations."

Many tried to molest me, got rape threats

Eva Yadav, a transwoman, said: Transphobia is real. When I came out about my sexuality, the people that I grew up with stopped talking to me. My mother objected in the beginning because she was afraid, but later, she supported me. My brother is still transphobic. Neighbours shared my pictures on their social media. Some even said she should be raped. Many tried to molest me to teach me a lesson. But is it my fault that I was born trans?"

I was attacked by homophobic men

Aditya Tiwari, a queer, said: My childhood was tough. As a teenager, I battled constant discrimination for being gay. Children in school would often use derogatory terms. I faced physical abuse too. This hatred followed me in adult life too. I was attacked by a bunch of homophobic men. I stepped out of my home and about eight men stopped me and hurled homophobic slurs at me. When I tried to fight back, one of them slapped me. Later, I was thrashed by them all."