LGBTQ dancers, not transgender performers

Lauding the stage given to them at

SCZCC

, the artistes, who are upset over their wrong identification, feel there is a long way for mindsets to change

Nagpur: In a bold attempt to weave the

LGBTQ

community into the mainstream, the South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC) invited a group of artistes from among them to perform at its recently concluded folk dance festival.

Folk dancers, most of them national awardees from across the country, perform at the event. The cultural festival is held on the sidelines of a handicraft mela, a 28-year-old feature of SCZCC, that draws over a lakh footfalls during its ten-day duration.

A 30-minute dance drama titled ‘Astitva’ was presented by the Amrapali group to which most of these performers belong. “The request for their participation came from Shraddha Joshi of Mission Vishwas. We thought it would be a big boost to their self-esteem and get them recognition,” says programme co-ordinator Shashank Dande.

“Through this we have tried to lower the inhibitions on both sides of the social divide by presenting them as artistes with talent and potential,” says Gauri Marathe, deputy director SCZCC.

Mission Vishwas is an arm of the RSS-run Lok Kalyan Samiti and was active during the pandemic to help people in need of medical treatment. “I focused on the LGBTQ community as they were the most neglected with no means or resources for medical treatment or even survival,” says Joshi who since then has continued to help them.

“Most of them are part of dance troupes and perform at weddings or baby showers. I thought this was an excellent stage to promote their cause,” she adds.

The dance-drama essayed the life of a LGBTQ, the shock and misery that the family goes through and the struggle that such persons undergo when the family abandons them and the society refuses to accept them. The presentation received a standing ovation but the spirits rose just for a night as some media reports next day termed them as transgenders.

“I’m not a transgender. I’m gay. Why can’t we be just called artistes. LGBTQ is what should be used to define us,” feels Jay, a choreographer who has participated in a reality dance show.

Sonu Nakshane, who performed a Shiv Tandav at the beginning of the dance drama is a trained classical dancer and hopes to get respect for his craft. “The folk artistes who performed on that stage were called dancers then why should we be described as hijra, kinnar or transgender. Why should our sexuality be our identity,” he asks.

India is a country of many communities. LGBTQ should be also accepted as just another community, feels Ashish Yerne who teaches dance. “I would love to dress up as a female but it will create problems for my family and two married sisters. All I want is just let us be what we are. Just understand how difficult it is to be trapped in a body which requires us to behave in a manner which is not ours.”

Though the government is getting involved now, it will take a long time for mindsets to change, feels Mohini, a crossdresser, who is a professional dancer too. “The grace of a dancer is within us right from birth. We know it when we look at ourselves in the mirror, the lachak and bhav are all naturally present. Yaksh, Gandharv, Kinnar are all creation of nature. Unless we are accepted as we are nothing will change for us,” says Mohini.

Lauding the opportunity given by SCZCC, make-up artist Deepak says, “This was an excellent platform and gave us a chance to speak about ourselves. The audience was very receptive too. But we need means to sustain ourselves, give us jobs, judge us by our talent and not by our sexual preferences.”

Joshi agrees with their grouse. “Some of them are gay or bisexual. They don’t want to beg or be sex workers or be known as transgenders though they like to dress up as women. The prejudices are very deep rooted. Society is changing but we need to look beyond photo ops,” she says.


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