Sexual minorities still outcasts, says activist Sheetal Shyam

KOZHIKODE: Sexual minorities are yet to get a space in the mainstream, said transgender activist Sheetal Shyam at a discussion on the concluding day of the Kerala Literature Festival here. “The homosexuals, like gays and lesbians, are still not able to come to the forefront, compared to transgenders. Looking at the dais, I can’t see any gays or lesbians here. For, they are not even able to reveal their identity. The discussions in the mainstream society are still male/female-centric,” Sheetal said adding that there is still a tendency to attack the sexual minorities even during the Queer Pride March.

Rights activist A.K. Jayasree said if democracy had to be implemented in the families, it should include all types of genders. Student activist Arundhati B. said the society has intelligently created a feeling that it accepts all kinds of minorities, while it was not in reality. “People call the sexual preference as ‘unnatural’. This can not be tolerated. Even slavery was part of the law in earlier times,” she said. G.S. Jayasree moderated the session titled Democracy and Sexual Minorities.