Siliguri: An LGBTQ Fashion Show was organised in Siliguri where more than 28 participants from various districts of North Bengal participated in it. Siliguri Pride Walk, a platform for LGBTQ communities, organised the community-based LGBTQ Fashion Show in Siliguri. The show was organised to make the stakeholders, especially the people holding important positions in society, aware of the problems and issues faced by the LGBTQ community.
Bodhi Satta, one of the organising members, said,
Our all participants did their own design and make-up. The community people want to show their talents and speak about personal rights from this platform. There is no marriage law, no adoption law, no inheritance law. So, we want the government to look into the issue and see the community people as normal as part of society. People should also make their thinking smart and accept the community as human beings.
Chandni Roy, a participant from Siliguri, said,
It is great that the committee organised such a kind of show, through it, they can show their talents. There is still some negativity in society about the activities of the LGBT community. But we can prove that they are like others in society.
Vivek Ghosh, a participant from Raiganj, said,
There is still a lot of discrimination in society. He likes to dress up like a woman. He likes to wear a saree and do make-up. But people use slang language while passing through them. That should be stopped.
The transgender community is still trying to prove themselves and make themselves acceptable in society after the Supreme Court scrapped Article 377, decriminalising same-sex relations between consenting adults in 2018.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
