Politicians drafting laws, commentators discussing “culture wars”, and the media framing transgender identities as “controversies”. There’s a tendency for conversations today to be about trans people rather than with them. And in this pursuit of debating hypotheticals, these conversations overlook very real issues like social stigma, discrimination, and everyday negotiations for dignity.

So, in this special episode of Let’s Talk About, we break down multiple aspects of trans existence – vocabulary and law, sports and representation, struggles and joys. Hosted by Abhinandan Sekhri and Jayashree Arunachalam, the panel comprises advocate Kanmani R, mental health professional and educator KP, activist Anindya Hajira, and filmmaker and Godrej DEI Lab executive Prithvi. 

Prithvi explains that trans discourse has “polarised even the most progressive of people – woke folks, left-leaning, liberal junta”. “There are people accepting trans people wholeheartedly and others doubling down on anti-trans rhetoric. It’s fearmongering at worst,” he says. 

On the burden placed on trans people to constantly explain themselves, Anindya says, “The spotlight’s on you. You start talking, you explain your body, your most intimate experiences, whether you want to or not…The trans space is not monolithic. We’ve learned and derived from each other.”

KP says, “To say that we don’t know the existence of genders outside men and women is ridiculous…The whole region has known otherwise for hundreds of years.” Kanmani talks about the struggles of being recognised, explaining that the “best possible scenario from a conversation like this is humanity”.

Towards the end of the podcast, Prithvi closes the loop: “I didn’t know if a future was possible…But now, I’m almost 30, in a loving relationship, speaking to all of you. And if there’s a young trans person listening, I hope they leave with hope in their heart.”

Tune in.

Panellists

• Kanmani R is an advocate who practises in the courts of Chennai, including the Madras High Court
• KP is an associate professor at the Centre for Health and Mental Health at the School of Social Work in TISS, Mumbai
• Anindya Hajira is a transgender rights and social justice activist based in Kolkata 
• Prithvi works as a research and media catalyst at Godrej DEi Lab in Mumbai

Credits:

Hosts: Abhinandan Sekhri and Jayashree Arunachalam

Producer: Priyali Dhingra

Editor: Satish Kumar 

Artwork: Prachi Dureja

Special thanks to NL subscribers Prithvi and Debashree who helped us put this podcast together.

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