New Delhi: Harish was little when he came out about his sexuality. What followed was a trail of chaotic emotions. “I suggested that he should seek medical help. I started looking for reasons that would confirm my disbelief,” says Padma Iyer, Harish’s mother. She even blamed the years of sexual abuse Harish faced at the hands of his uncle.
However, soon, she knew she was in denial. She decided to accept the truth and stand by her him. She says,
My child matters to me above anything else.
Ever since, Ms Iyer, in an effort to understand her child and the LGBTQIA+ community better, has accompanied her child to awareness sessions and events.
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Dr Bela Sharma did the same. When she came to know about her child’s gender identity, she felt nothing but an abundance of love for her. Additional Director of Internal Medicine at Fortis, Dr Bela says,
My relationship with my child has not changed at all. I am a mother. and Tia is my child. It does not matter whether male or female, gender neutral, binary, or non-binary.
Ms Iyer and Dr Sharma’s extraordinary approach is not restricted to their children. They have contributed to the empowerment of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is only deserving that they were recently honoured with the Vidya Award at Transgender Awards 2024.
Ms Iyer feels that events like these that are focused on the LGBTQIA+ community are important. They celebrate the diverse identities and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ people and their families and friends.
Even after 20 years, nobody discusses my child’s sexual identity openly in our family. It is a silent battle my son and I continue to fight. Events like these not only provide visibility and recognition but also ensure acceptance.
Dr Bela agrees. She says that Transgender Awards is a powerful platform to promote equality and inclusion for all members of the community. The awards show is not only a source of encouragement for my child, but for the family and the society as a whole, she says.
Also Read: Transgender Council Members Raise Issue Of Building Unisex Toilets, Shelter Homes With Government
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.
