When was the last time you or someone you know were stopped at a mall? Have you ever been publicly humiliated when going out to watch a movie? Perhaps never. But for a group of friends who went to watch a movie this Sunday, things became quite unpleasant. Why? Two from the group happened to be transgenders.
Shyam Samuel Konnur, Pooja, Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli and Madhumati decided to make the most of the Ganesh holiday and headed to GVK One to watch Time Out, which explores the story of two teenage brothers, one of whom is homosexual.
As the group stood next to the ticket counter, a security manager started yelling at them: “Kya kar rahe ho? Niklo hato (What are you doing here? Get out).” “Initially, I thought he was yelling at someone behind us,” says Vyjayanti, who was visibly shocked when she realised the crass comments were directed towards her and Madhumati, her transgender sister.
“We were waiting next to the ticket counter and there were easily more than 50 people at the spot. But the guard, who said he was doing his duty and checking people with suspicious behaviour, singled us out. And it was quite obvious why,” says Vyjayanti.
“I guess he mistook us for dhandewalis (sex workers), but my point is even if I was a sex worker, why should I not be allowed to watch a movie?” A heated exchange lasted for five minutes. “My friend Shyam tried to intervene and the guard barked at him too. It was only when I started speaking in English and started quoting the law and told him he can be held in contempt of court, did he cool down,” says Vyjayanti, who works with a consulting firm in the city and is also an activist for the LGBT community.
Her friend Shyam, who works with a software company in Pune and is also an activist, was in the city to lend support for the play Queering the Night 1.0, where many of his friends took part. “The impression that I got as a visitor was that Hyderabad is not LGBT friendly,” says Shyam, adding, “The security guards at the mall had no objection. It was the manager who behaved in an unruly manner. I won’t be surprised if staff at the mall is untrained or have a policy on transgenders,” he says.
Vyjayanti, on the other hand has refused to let this incident slide. Apart from submitting a compliant at the mall’s customer desk, she has also filed a complaint at the police station. The mall’s officials and the security head were not available for comment.
