How information save lives, my experience with TransgenderIndia | Sophie Bint Dawud | TEDxDharavi

I hope that I never give this talk ever
again in my life because honestly we are
tired of this
how many talks how many programs do have
to do to spread this idea that we are
all human what is the first thing that
you remember when someone told you who
transgender people are seriously think
about it what is the first thing what
are those words that still rings in your
years when you think about transgender
people I was told that don’t go near
them they will make you one of them and
I’m sure from that moment onwards you
must have made an assumption that
something is terribly wrong with them
growing up in school I was taunted I was
teased for being Who I am and people
never really bothered to ask why you
behave like that do you have any issues
they’re always worried about themselves
we are always worried about ourselves we
do not have a place to give information
about what to do with transgender people
we have only two solution do begging go
for sex work that’s all we tell them
that’s all the society has to offer if
you look at the West you have so many
articles you have so many discussions
going on about this issue why isn’t
India progressive in that so that is
what transgender India calm is doing
there changing lives we are reaching out
to the trans youth even before they make
their choices to do begging or sex work
we want to bring them we want to teach
them you
want to show them that there is a way
out and taking out your life is not the
end of it
transcending India calm is an archive a
collection of articles written by
transgender youth transgender people
explaining their stories their
experiences and we have trans Genie
which is one of our projects which gives
recommendations to people who want
doctors and specialists near them and we
have the forum the transgender talk with
transgender people like me gather and we
share our opinions we share tips how to
pass well in a crowd and how to not be
identified as trans and one of our board
members critical Singh won the landmark
judgement against the government Gazette
to change the gender markers in our
documents and we are working on changing
the gender marker in the birth
certificate itself you might wonder you
are already born why do you want to
change the birth certificate but your
birth certificate should not tell what
is between your legs it should tell you
what is between your years who you are
so I’m here to ask you today we have a
rich history in India transgender people
have been celebrated have been guardians
of the royal Queen and the family and
when British people colonized India
that’s when everything changed
they criminalized us and people took it
to their heart India got freedom but we
didn’t and we are still shackled by the
ignorance so schools and colleges must
start awareness programs that this can
be addressed we should give them hope
and accepted
starts at home everyone knows this right
what will you tell your child when they
ask who transgender people are thank you
[Applause] [Music]