#TheGirlTribe show has featured so many empowering women from different walks of life that have spoken about some really inspirational stories. On the 5th episode of the show, MissMalini a.k.a Malini Agarwal had a very interesting conversation with Anjali Lama. Anjali is the first-ever transgender model to walk the ramp for Lakmé Fashion Week. She told us about the challenges she faced on her journey to success. Not only was her career a struggle, but her father and brothers weren’t supportive either. But through it all, she has fought and braved all the odds to get where she is today, and needless to say, she is more than proud of herself and so are we. This episode really got us thinking about the challenges faced by the transgender community and here’s why we need to change how we look at transgenders in India.
Inclusivity
Inclusivity is a concept that needs to improve in India. Although we talk about unity in diversity, we still don’t provide equal rights to the LGBTQIA community. While some people from this community are a little more accepted, others are still struggling. Section 377 is a perfect example of that. We as a society need to be more empathetic, and be more compassionate towards every individual and respect their life choices. We are no one to judge and we need to be aware of that. The transgender community faces challenges every day, like Anjali mentioned on the show, you can recognize transgenders just by looking at them so, they don’t have a choice but to come out. Life is challenging for them as they do not have rights like everyone else. This discrimination needs to stop right away and we need to start doing more to help educate society about this.
#LoveIsLove
Your sexual preference does not define who you are. Who you love should be a choice that’s only yours to make. It isn’t fair to force someone to do things they aren’t comfortable with, especially love. In fact, it’s important to love yourself first. In the episode, Anjali talks about how the happiest day of her life was when she found her identity as a transgender.
Anjali Lama is the perfect example of accepting who you are and loving yourself for it. She is proud to be her true self and why shouldn’t she? Why shouldn’t anyone? We need to erase this notion and learn to love without any prejudice.