Navigating Lives, Negotiating Desires

Listen to excerpts from Outlook's Islamophobia issue,by Pragya Vats  #outlookmagazine #muslims #islamophobia

Transcript

00:00 This is Pragya and I bring to you excerpts from current issue of Outlook on Islamophobia.

00:05 In the substratus section on culture, Aishwarya Raj brings to you many moving and inspiring

00:11 queer life stories from Patna Pride Parade.

00:14 Masoom's dream has a fragrance of gajra.

00:16 Masoom, 19, is a student of Standard 12.

00:19 He has filled up Bihar Police Form and is preparing for the qualifying exam.

00:23 Very recently, the provision of hiring one trans person for every 500 cis people has

00:29 been introduced in the Bihar Police.

00:31 Trans people have been clubbed under the OBC category.

00:34 Many trans activists, including Reshma Prasad from Bihar and Grace Bhanu from Tamil Nadu,

00:39 they have protested against this.

00:41 They demand a vertical reservation for trans people.

00:45 Masoom's life is centred around studying, working at a restaurant and living at Garima

00:48 Griha hostel.

00:50 She finds a mother figure and a guardian in Reshma Prasad.

00:53 My mother has somewhat accepted me, my father has not.

00:56 I live like other girls and I don't do anything that my family should be ashamed of.

01:01 I bear my own expenses by working this part-time job.

01:04 I also study, Masoom says.

01:07 Masoom had met Reshma Prasad in Danapur three years ago.

01:10 The hostel was a few kilometres away from my home.

01:13 I went to her one day and told her that my family does not accept me, but I have accepted

01:19 myself.

01:20 With this conversation, Masoom's journey was linked to Prasad's.

01:23 Masoom continues to live with her parents until she turned a major.

01:27 The hormone injections cost a thousand rupees.

01:30 The price depends on many factors like which city you are in, etc.

01:34 For the surgery, one needs more money.

01:36 My surgery was arranged by Reshma ma'am.

01:39 At Garima Griha, we receive help from the government too, Masoom says.

01:43 Masoom wants to live like any normal girl.

01:45 A 19-year-old, who has to wear saree and perform a classical dance piece, would prefer white

01:50 fragrant gajra adorning her hair.

01:53 So she was desperate to get a string of gajra on the way to the parade.

01:56 It was raining heavily that afternoon and we walked to the local market.

02:00 We could not find a natural gajra or an alternative to it.

02:04 We returned with a tube of alta, bindi patta and green bangles.