The media – it entertains and it educates, it informs and it influences. It has the power to open our eyes and change the way we think. With this great power comes great responsibility, and it leads me to question- Does the Indian media represent the LGBT+ community adequately and appropriately?
Compared to many countries, India has a fairly lower representation of the LGBT+ Community, due to extensive homophobia which seems to have been hard-wired into the mentality of the majority of Indians. This trend was initiated by the implementation of Section 377 by Thomas Macaulay. However, there have been substantial improvements to the living conditions of the members of the LGBT+ community in recent years. With Section 377 being deemed unconstitutional on the 6th of September 2018. In recent times, the representation of the LGBT+ Community in films, books, and other forms of art is increasing, It has forced people to begin a dialogue about this.
The first Indian film that overtly dealt with homosexuality was ‘Fire,’ directed by Deepa Mehta and released in 1996. The story revolves around how two women, who are both in problematic heterosexual marriages, explore their sexuality together and kindle a relationship. Needless to say, the movie faced criticism and violent protests as it forced the public to deal with a topic which was (and continues to be) a taboo.
Even today, it isn’t uncommon to find popular television shows deriding homosexuality and the transgender community by making a male character wear women’s clothing and makeup and mocking him/ them to compensate for a poor joke no one would laugh at.
However, there have been films that wonderfully depict the LGBT+ Community. Some of these include ‘Margherita With a Straw’, ‘Aligarh’, ‘Jatra’, ‘Arekti Premer Golpo’, ‘Naanu Avanalla…Avalu’, etcetera. These films beautifully describe the daily struggles faced by the LGBT+ community in India, a country where horizons are beginning to expand, minds are opening and perspectives are broadening.
It is essential to understand that while the LGBT+ Community deals with how boundless a person’s sexuality may be. It is so much more than about your sexuality, The LGBT+ Community is perhaps the most inclusive, empathetic community there is. We have begun to scratch the tip of the iceberg, there is a long way to go. With so many topics that the media must concentrate on so as to not only destigmatize the LGBTTQQIIA+ community but make it part of the normal. This rainbow has no end.
ความคิดเห็น