kinnar – orinam https://new2.orinam.net Hues may vary but humanity does not. Sat, 24 Nov 2018 11:01:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8 https://new2.orinam.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cropped-imageedit_4_9441988906-32x32.png kinnar – orinam https://new2.orinam.net 32 32 Trans, Gender NonConforming and Intersex Collectives Strongly Condemn Kinnar Akhada’s Support for Ram Temple at Ayodhya, India https://new2.orinam.net/trans-gender-nonconforming-intersex-collectives-condemn-kinnar-akhada-support-for-ram-temple-at-ayodhya-india/ https://new2.orinam.net/trans-gender-nonconforming-intersex-collectives-condemn-kinnar-akhada-support-for-ram-temple-at-ayodhya-india/#respond Sat, 24 Nov 2018 10:57:18 +0000 https://new2.orinam.net/?p=14031 This is a statement issued by Indian Trans, Intersex and Gender Nonconforming (T/IS/GNC) individuals and groups in response to the Kinnar Akhada’s call for a Ram temple at the Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya. This statement is being issued with the deepest sense of anguish, concern and condemnation at this call, which is bound to fuel communal hatred and violence. Many traditional transfeminine persons and groups have been threatened for wanting to endorse this statement. Threats have been issued to certain members of the signatories list for initiating this statement. We call the attention of the larger LGBTIQ+ communities, our allies, and international human rights defenders and organisations to take notice and join us in taking a stand against these attempts at saffronisation of the LGBTQI+ communities. A total of 183 T/IS/GNC individuals, 20 LGBTQIA+ groups, 8 ally organisations, and 146 individual allies have endorsed this statement at the time of its release.

Click here to view the statement.

Endorsements are still being accepted until 11 pm, IST, 30th November, 2018. Please send your endorsements to trans.solidarity@gmail.com in the format Name, Gender Identity/Expression (optional), Organisational Affiliation (optional), Location.

Please indicate which of the signatory lists you would like to be listed in:

A] Trans, Gender Nonconforming & Intersex individuals

B] LGBTQIA+ Groups, Networks & Organisations (Trans, Gender Nonconforming & Intersex led/shared spaces and otherwise)

C] Allies in solidarity (Non-LGBTQIA+ organisations and queer and non-queer individuals)

  1. a) Organisations
  2. b) Individuals

The full statement may be viewed here

]]> https://new2.orinam.net/trans-gender-nonconforming-intersex-collectives-condemn-kinnar-akhada-support-for-ram-temple-at-ayodhya-india/feed/ 0 Xukia takes on transphobic news editor in Assam https://new2.orinam.net/xukia-transphobic-journo-mar-2017/ https://new2.orinam.net/xukia-transphobic-journo-mar-2017/#comments Thu, 30 Mar 2017 01:28:02 +0000 https://new2.orinam.net/?p=12987 On February 20, 2017, an individual named Biswajit Nath uploaded a video on Facebook with the caption “Beware. What is happening in the name of kinnar? Feel it and share it. What are the authorities doing about this” (translated).

Biswajit Nath was the managing editor at News Next One, an online digital media portal from Assam. In the video, a kinnar (trans woman) is seen outside a wine shop and Biswajit Nath, who is recording the video, confronts her and asks her where she lives, and who “runs her”. He continues to publicly harass her and abuse her. He asks her “real name”. He even asks her to take her clothes off to prove that she is a “real” kinnar. The video ends with him shouting and screaming at her.

The video was brought to the notice of Xukia by concerned citizen/ally Abdul Kalam Azad and queer activist Rafiul Alom Rahman. Together we were able to raise enough outcry on social media.

post by Xukia

The news channel initially replied saying that the journalist’s action does not represent the channel’s stand, that they respect everyone’s rights, and that the video did not appear on an official page of the channel. On March 10, the journalist retorted that he had simply “initiated a discussion” and that there were a lot of fake kinnars.

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Finally, we sent a written complaint to the channel.

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Some reminders later…

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…they acted on our messages, and took action, by terminating Nath.

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Kudos to News Next One for acknowledging that the practice was unethical, and for taking action against Nath.

This happened because people together raised their voice and ensured that the transphobic journalist and the channel are made accountable for their actions.

Orinam’s note: Taken together with other examples as the multi-city responses to the TV9 debacle of 2011 in Hyderabad, and protests against a homophobic 2013 piece by Mohana Krishnaswamy in The Hindu, Xukia’s incisive intervention in this News Next One episode illustrates the power of community and ally action in opposing queer-/trans-phobic media coverage and demanding accountability. Please let us know of other examples of community interventions such as these. Do check out (and contribute material to) our guidelines for ethical media coverage of LGBTIQ+ issues in India. 

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