17 year old Vyshnav points out a very fundamental flaw in Indian society – how everyone is not equal, even though we are a democracy. As a child, Vyshnav faced what one-fourth of all students from elementary age through high school face – bullying and harassment for possessing ‘gay’ characteristics.
Male masculinity is oppressive and exploitative and there is huge social pressure to be ‘manly’ on many men, which is why boys like Vyshnav, who do not fit into that paradigm, are subjected to bullying. Vyshnav was part of the football team in his school, where he was constantly subjected to bullying and harassment. [envoke_twitter_link]He was also slapped on many occasions[/envoke_twitter_link]. Now grown up, [envoke_twitter_link]he doesn’t want anyone else to be subjected to the same thing[/envoke_twitter_link].
Vyshnav’s Story – “Bullying is wrong.”“Bullying is wrong. The LGBT community is not wrong.”Facebook, meet Vyshnav! At age 12 his schoolmates bullied him because they thought he was gay. Today, at age 17, he’s speaking up because he doesn’t want other young kids to go through the same thing. His message is simple, timely, and powerful.Watch Vyshnav’s moving video and share it with your friends and family. Help break down harmful prejudices against LBGTQ individuals.It’s especially important this week because Friday marks the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision to uphold Section 377 of the Penal Code.Section 377 is a colonial-era law that criminalises anything it deems ‘unnatural’ sex. So it can apply to anybody, but it’s most often used to unfairly target LGBTQ communities.Such an outdated and unjust law has no place in modern India. We believe that the society most of us want is just and inclusive, and that’s how our laws need to be too.Yet we know that our laws won’t evolve unless we change the conversation around LGBTQ rights in India. The right to equal treatment under the law (regardless of sexual orientation) is a basic human right.That’s why we’ll be bringing you short videos throughout the week that highlight the positive shifts in Indian society on LGBTQ rights. We’ll publish them all here on our Facebook page, so make sure you “Like” Jhatkaa so you don’t miss them.And to participate in this important conversation yourself, share your story on social media using #ChangeTheConversation. Thank you!
Posted by Jhatkaa on Monday, 7 December 2015