Vartanama, Mar '14
By Pawan Dhall
In this season of much heartburn around Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, it is refreshing to come across new and even not-so-new ideas around gender and sexuality discussed and debated in seminars and meetings. If nothing else, then these occasions generate a faint hope that the world can yet be changed!
Pawan Dhall aspires to be a rainbow journalist and believes in taking a stand, even if it’s on the fence – the view is better from there!
By Pawan Dhall
In this season of much heartburn around Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, it is refreshing to come across new and even not-so-new ideas around gender and sexuality discussed and debated in seminars and meetings. If nothing else, then these occasions generate a faint hope that the world can yet be changed!
One such occasion was the screening of a film titled Bioscope:
Non-Binary Conversations on Gender and Education produced by Delhi-based gender
and sexuality focussed NGO Nirantar. The film portrayed the experience of both
male-to-female and female-to-male transgender people in the Indian education
system. Screened on February 28, 2014 at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, it was
followed by a panel discussion on the same topic. The event was a joint effort
of Kolkata-based NGO Swayam, which tackles violence against women, and the
School of Women’s Studies, Jadavpur University.
The film and the panel discussion both brought home the
point that the Indian education system was a major site of violence against
anyone who did not conform to the so called norms around gender and sexuality –
be it in the context of personal appearance or even participation in sports. Among
those worst affected were transgender students, an unknown number of whom dropped
out of school or college because of the extremely discriminatory environment. The
violence could be in the form of bullying by other students or in the
transphobic manner in which teachers behaved with transgender students.
Panel discussion on the experience of transgender people in the Indian education system. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall |
In terms of strategies to deal with the situation, it was
not a surprise that the topic of sex education came up in the discussion. But
interestingly the panellists recommended a ‘broader gender and sexuality
education framework’ rather than ‘sex education as just another subject to be
studied by rote in the curriculum’. Such a framework would help infuse gender
and sexuality equity in the syllabi of all subjects and encourage a deeper
appreciation of the issues involved.
Of course, the infusion of gender and sexuality education
would have to be age-specific, but the earlier it started the better it would
be, as socialization of children around gender and sexuality began at a much
earlier age than admitted to by both parents and teachers. This would not be
the only challenge. Talking about gender fluidity beyond the binary of
male-female or man-woman to include the transgender, and then even beyond
transgender issues would be equally difficult. Yet, it was welcome that the
discussion around these complex issues took place.
Equally welcome was an initiative undertaken by IDIA or Increasing
Diversity by Increasing Access through Education, an agency with a rather
unique mission of facilitating access to legal education for youth from
marginalized and underprivileged sections of society. Started from the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) in Kolkata in 2010 and
later registered as a charitable trust in Bangalore, IDIA operates through 17 chapters
across India.
On March 6 and 7, 2014, IDIA organized the Kolkata leg of
its 'IDIA Film Festival at National Law Schools' at the WBNUJS auditorium. On the
first day, the film festival, which focused on human rights issues, included a
panel discussion on how films can serve as an instrument of social empowerment.
I got the opportunity to speak in the discussion on behalf of Varta, and
highlighted the role played by films and film festivals in the Indian lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (queer) movement through the years since the
early 1990s. Not just films from the West, but also Indian films in various
languages, including Bollywood films and films made by queer activists, have
played a significant role in awareness generation and advocacy on queer
concerns around health and development.
The audience at the IDIA film festival was small, but the
panel discussion and interface with the audience was lively and not without
possibilities. The mix of legal education, films and social change made for an
interesting discussion on what works and what doesn’t in terms of films: Do
they only reflect social change or also bring about social change? Do films
inspire lawyers and judges to change the way they function? What role can films
play in outreach among the masses for spreading information and generating
debate and dialogue?
Varta looks forward to further interaction with IDIA
representatives and scholars as well as other students of law on various
aspects of social lawyering in relation to gender, sexuality and associated
issues of public health. For however progressive (or regressive) the law of the
land may be, the sensitivity of legal service providers is what matters the
most to a person seeking legal advice or redress. Especially if the person
battles innumerable social barriers and mental dilemmas to reach them in the
first place!
Pawan Dhall aspires to be a rainbow journalist and believes in taking a stand, even if it’s on the fence – the view is better from there!
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