Saleem Kidwai's Verdict, Delhi Panchayat, Resisting Stigma and Homophobia (Jeevanandhan Rajendran)

Saleem Kidwai's Verdict, Delhi Panchayat, Resisting Stigma and Homophobia

Director: Jeevanandhan Rajendran

Duration: 00:04:33; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 19.927; Saturation: 0.296; Lightness: 0.370; Volume: 0.060; Cuts per Minute: 2.415; Words per Minute: 111.754

People’s Panchayats on Resisting Stigma and Homophobia; Action Plus - a Coalition for Rights, Education and Care in HIV and AIDS. Saleem Kidwai, author of “Same Sex Love in India”, and a member of the Delhi Panchayat's jury, responds to the depositions heard. Mr. Kidwai talks specifically in response to another jury member's verdict, arguing that there exists no necessary link between a person's educational level and the difficulty that they might face in coming out.

Delhi
action plus
ambani brothers
delhi
discrimination
education
people's panchayats on resisting stigma and homophobia
Delhi, India

Lucknow boy, medieval historian and gay-rights activist Saleem Kidwai is co-author of Same-sex Love In India: Readings From Literature And History with Ruth Vanita. The path-breaking scholarly masterpiece cites homosexuality, gender fluidity and sexual diversity, from Sikhandin in the Mahabharata, through the medieval Sufi poetry of Amir Khusro, Shah Hussayn and Sarmad, to the modern works of Ismat Chughtai and Bhupen Khakhar, and is available in most of India’s major languages.

生於勒克瑙，中世紀歷史學家和同性戀權利的社運人士撒利姆・基德威 (Saleem Kidwai) 是《印度同性之愛：文學和歷史文選讀本》的共同作者。

Here speaking at People's Panchayats on Resisting Stigma and Homophobia - Saleem Kidwai, as a member of the Delhi Panchayat's jury, responds to the depositions heard. Saleem Kidwai talks specifically in response to another jury member's verdict, arguing that there exists no necessary link between a person's educational level and the difficulty that they might face in coming out.
saleem kidwai

That's a hard act to follow.

And already I, most of that what I have to say would be repeating things that have already been said, because I agree with everything that's been said here except a few thing. And therefore, I will talk about those which doesn't mean that I don't agree with the things that I don't mention. But let me briefly say what I find very encouraging. That is as Sunil said, the personal testimonies. And I think, all of you have already made that break. You've succeeded. Your struggles will go on for the rest of your life, but the major struggle has been broken and that in itself is a huge example for others to follow, that you are in a position to talk about it. And, this recording, this personal recording, this personal conveying of the message of this personal story is important, but beyond that its also important to stress that it has to be a personal struggle at basic level. As Sunil has said, we can expect government help, we can expect change in law, etc. etc., but no matter what happens, it will still have to be the individual who will have to enforce, own power and actually to use it. I would like to say that phobia, its homophobia for others, comes in very large packages. It is not as if homophobia is something that is different from other phobias. Very often it goes along with other phobias. So, a family which is homophobic or a person who is homophobic bound to be intolerant in many many ways. Therefore, the struggle has to be his struggle. We cannot take, beyond a point, take it upon us to educate every one of the phobias and we have to get on with our lives. This is what I firmly believe, that, we have to take care of ourselves. Of course, we need all the help we can, but even if we don't, we will find a way as all these people have just shown that without help, without any support, you find ways, you find people, you find support system to carry on. And one last thing I would like to mention, something I would disagree with several speakers,...

is that...
是嗎...

Its not always education & social status
that's linked to certain attitudes.
教育和社會地位跟一些既定的態度不一定有連結關係

I don't think, its automatic. We shouldn't assume that...
我不這麼認為。它是自發的。我們不應該預設...

No, most of the time, I think.
不，我認為是大多時候。

I think, for instance...
舉個例子來說，

saleem kidwai

Can you imagine, one of Ambani brothers being gay?
你能想像首富安巴尼兄弟之中有一位是同性戀嗎？

I mean...
我的意思是...

They would have a horrible time.
他們會經歷非常巨大的煎熬

There's no chance of them
ever being able to come out.
對他們來說出櫃的可能是微乎其微

So... I mean... so...
所以，我想說的是...

Class. Class, education, their degrees, whatever.
階級。階級、教育、學位，等等

So, I think, we need to rethink a lot of these things.
所以我認為我們必須重新思考非常多的事情

That... it's much more complex
事情有更複雜的層次

than just education, social status...
而不只是教育和社會地位的差別⋯

It would have huge impact,
but I don't see it happening.
這將會有很大的衝擊，但並沒有發生⋯

There's that Maharaja in Gujarat who has come out...
以前有古吉拉特大君出櫃⋯

It'd be more important if Shahrukh Khan came out.
但如果沙．魯克．汗出櫃可能會更為重要

I don't want to trivialise this.
我不想讓事情變得瑣碎

I don't want to trivialise it.
我不想讓這個討論變得瑣碎

All I am saying- it's not easy. And that
我的重點在於：出櫃並不簡單

prejudice and this thing is not- shouldn't be linked with that.
偏見和這個主題不應該被連結在一起。

I'll finish here.
我就說到這裡。

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