“They Stopped Me from Entering A Mall, Now I Fight For Our Rights”
A few years ago, I went to a shopping mall but wasn’t allowed to enter. When I asked the security guard why I couldn’t go inside, he said that there was nothing for people like me in there. There have been countless incidents like this that I, and thousands of others from the transgender community, have faced and continue to face. We’re made to feel like we’re not good enough for anything.
I used to be an effeminate boy and it was not long before I knew that I was a woman trapped inside the body of a man. It wasn’t easy — to accept myself and be accepted by society. But I had the strongest support system in my mother. She accepted me for who I am, never questioned my identity and always made me feel comfortable. Especially when others in the family questioned me. Unfortunately, not everyone receives this kind of love and support from their loved ones.
I always believed that getting an education and being independent is extremely important. Even though college was a nightmare because I feared being judged and discriminated against, and it stopped me from attending, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Arts through correspondence. It was just sheer determination. But I also knew that I wanted to do something for my community.
Everyone deserves to have a mitr, someone they can confide in and find support in — and that’s when I founded Mitr Trust with an aim to reduce the risks of HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), and spread awareness to the LGBTQIA+ community about their rights. I also set up ‘Bold’, India’s first transgender modeling agency.
People only see us in one light, but we have every right to be anything we want to be. But I don’t like to call myself an activist. I just think it is my responsibility to do this for my community. Society lacks understanding, and no one knows the struggles that we face better than us. That is why I’ve dedicated myself to working for this community and empowering my brothers and sisters here. I want every person from the transgender community to get the respect they deserve and have support for life.
- Rudrani Chhetri, Founder, Mitr Trust
