Pride: Personal Identity, Social Movement and a Tale of Oppression - Shaleen Shukla

 An opinionated piece probably exceeding thousand words about Pride from a hetero-cis guy is the last thing anyone, including myself would want to read. But it is necessary when you are expected to write a discourse piece for The Weekly Edge. On a more serious note, it is also indicative of the lack of representation of queer people across the board. Our club is one that takes immense pride in standing by the LGBTQ+ community as staunch, outspoken representatives and allies. And yet, the fabled ‘Seat at the Table’ for the queer community remains unoccupied, in our organization and in all others.

I had the chance to listen to Emma D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra in HBO’s House of the Dragon, talking about the struggles she faced while coming out as non binary. Juggling her acting career, her gender identity and her moral choices. And I was constantly in awe of the sheer strength and character she had displayed through all those circumstances. There are a lot of examples, stories and legends that straight men can observe and learn from. We have a thousand different role models to choose from. The charming hero, the conflicted anti-hero, the funny jokester, images of characters, fictional or otherwise come flooding through, as we go through these phrases. All of them have their own arc, their purpose, their story, their love interests, their friendships, their struggles.

Women, on the other hand, have not been traditionally afforded that liberty to have a vast array of role models to choose from, until recently. The queer community still does not have that privilege. Representation is not as simple as who you like, and what you are. It is an expression of yourself, in your truest form. And it is truly beautiful when others accept you in that form, to place that trust and faith in someone, and get rewarded with solemn understanding and empathy.

The expression of personal identity is liberating, and inspires hope and joy. However, this expression of personal identity has been demonized, persecuted, shut up and locked away for ages. Even as kings would explore their sexual orientation without boundaries behind closed doors, they restricted the same liberty to others, perhaps out of the fear of disturbing the status quo a bit too much. There have been countless examples of rulers who were anything but straight. And yet being queer has been ostracized by societies at large. However, with countries and cultures transitioning to focus on personal liberty, freedom of expression and choice, all sections of society began to voice out their own expressions of themselves, without fear of persecution, or death.

And now, it is truly heartening to see outspoken, vocal personalities emerging out of the LGBTQ+ space. The slope is steep and uphill, but the people fighting, in some cases for their right to exist, are equally firm, inspiring and have that righteous, unbridled fury. And there has been significant progress as a result too. A record number of countries have decriminalized homosexuality, including India and many others have legalized same sex marriage over the last decade. We have noticed several multinational organizations and corporations, not entirely sincerely though, to take steps towards queer representation and celebration. However, with all this increased visibility and progress, has emerged an almost vitriolic pushback as well.

Humanity as a whole, has not been kind to each other, upon discovering new ways of life, new cultures, new people and new lands. Barring some exceptions, contact between two disconnected tribes of people has led to hostility and aggression. There is a natural apprehension and distrust in us about the unknown and the unexplored. There is comfort in the known. The way of life we have known all our lives provides a sense of security, that we do not want to be disrupted. Seeing beyond stereotypes and trying to be empathetic in a world that has been cruel and unforgiving requires courage and kindness, above all.  And although queerness and same sex relationships have been as old as time, appearing consistently in literature and history across eras and places, the increased visibility and mainstreaming of gender identities seems to have provoked that dark, disdainful part of us as a society that believes in negativity over positivity. But time and again, humanity has also proven to be capable of love, faith and camaraderie beyond imagination. Soldiers, doctors and scientists that started working under tyrannical, fascist governments have risen up, rebelled and stood with their conscience against all odds.

It is ironic that the strongest opposition to being queer itself comes from religious institutions. The very foundation of most religions is love and faith. Treating all with respect and dignity, and to consider all beings a creation of the Almighty. And yet the elite class throughout the world has found a way to weaponize people’s faith, and use it against sections of society. Even a faith like Buddhism, whose primary tenets revolve around acceptance, tolerance and introspection has not been spared from the evils of being weaponized, the most recent example being Myanmar. Neither has Atheism, where the key tenets are treating all as equal humans, and not believing in a supreme power capable of judging people based on lifestyle choices, such as in China and Russia. This is also indicative of good, peaceful ideals being twisted into something else entirely.

However, despite a millennia of facing inhumane atrocities, persecution and oppression, the queer community has found a way to mark their own spaces under the harshest of conditions. And yet be incredibly empathetic and kind towards the rest of humanity, despite the same empathy not being reciprocated most of the times. And it is this indomitable spirit that serves as a true inspiration for all of us.

India offers a rich case study as a culture and nation whose existence, in all likelihood, predates its written records. Not just to observe a rich and diverse representation of the queer community, fictional and non fictional, across the length and breadth of the country throughout its history. But also, as a case study to observe the patterns of how regressive ideas have seeped through to the mainstream after a series of progressive strides in different eras. Ashoka and Akbar being two of the primary examples, that come to mind.

It is imperative, now more than ever, to stand by the LGBTQ+ community, with these recent trends of hate campaigns, and glorifying toxic traits like insensitivity and inhumane behaviour. Often, the severe trauma and side-lining queer people have to suffer through makes them easy target for trolls. And thus it is equally important for institutions and people in power to empower and create spaces for them to be themselves, to voice out their beliefs and convictions, and to finally get that long overdue "Seat at the Table"!