Q. What drove your interest in teaching a unique course like Gender Studies, and what do students get to learn from it?
A. Personally, for me, the field of gender studies offered powerful concepts to understand and engage with the patriarchal society in which I grew up. The beauty of this field lies in the sheer diversity of disciplines it draws on -- ranging from biological and neurosciences to anthropology and literature and how the perspectives these disciplines offer meld together to provide startling revelations of a world we take for granted. Teaching a course like gender studies is important because gender is an integral part of our identity; it shapes how we interact with and make sense of the world around us; a world hierarchically structured around gender, as it is around caste, class, or religion. Through the course, students encounter and interrogate complex ideas that include sex, gender, sexuality, family, sexual violence. When teaching these ideas, I emphasize tolerance for gender diversity. I would argue that understanding gender is an essential step towards becoming empathetic human beings. Therefore, I believe that understanding gender is as critical as knowing mathematics, language, or science.
Q. What has been your observation regarding mindsets and behaviors of students at college when it comes to the course and about equality in general?
A. Well, this is a tricky question! But in my limited engagement with the student community at BITS, I have encountered students with varying levels of gender sensitivity and understanding of gender, sexuality, and patriarchy. I have mostly taught the course through discussion and debate. Students have shared personal experiences of discrimination, casual sexism, homophobia, and sexual harassment, especially outside the classroom. Within the classroom, there has been good receptivity to theoretical ideas on the part of the students. One caveat, however. Understanding complex theoretical concepts related to gender is necessary but not sufficient to develop gender sensitivity, which is why engaging with gender-related debates outside the classroom is crucial. In this regard, I appreciate student initiatives at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, such as the queer consortium and student-led groups like the gender champions, which have been active in creating awareness around gender and sexuality-related issues. I am also aware that there are numerous virtual platforms where students discuss gender-related issues. I am pleased about this, and I hope these discussions are being conducted in a healthy and respectful manner. On this note, I would add that none of us are immune to patriarchy (men, women, or other gender minorities). We unconsciously perpetuate it –of course, by varying degrees-- because it is ingrained within us. However, this does not mean that we let the status-quo persist because social realities change, if not within our lifetimes. Thus, all our actions in the present and the immediate environment count – be it something as small as calling out a sexist joke or refraining from using a misogynistic/homophobic swear-word in a casual conversation.
Q. What’s the difference between gender and sex? What are the common misunderstandings that are affecting their perceptions?
A. While most textbooks refer to sex as having to do with the body, including the entire complement of sex hormones, the sexual organs, and the genitalia, gender is defined as a social construct, associated with socialization and the cultural context that one is part of. What feminist scholarship has explored over the 20th century till now is the exact nature of the relationship between these concepts. While patriarchal notions assert a unidirectional relationship between sex and gender, feminists have complicated this understanding, showing us that there are various sexes (e.g. intersex people) and multiple genders (e.g. people who identify as transgender). Understanding the concepts of sex and gender and the relationship between them is key to understanding the various groups of people who constitute the LGBTIAQ community. As for common misunderstandings, I’ve often noticed people confusing sex and gender, using the word “female” when they should use “woman” or “male” when they should use “man”. People also tend to conflate sexuality and gender identity, often not understanding the difference between transgender, homosexual, or intersex.
Q. The LGBTQ community has always been looked down on by the society. How was the situation in your generation? How have things changed now? What more do you think needs to change?
A. The situation has definitely changed since my childhood and college-going years when a public discourse on LGBTIAQ issues was non-existent. It probably began to evolve post 2009 when the Delhi High Court Judgement struck down section 377 of the Indian Penal code, a draconian law that criminalized “unnatural” sex in India. We have since evolved a vocabulary to speak of such issues. There have also been certain landmark judgments that have sought to protect the legal rights of the LGBTIAQ community. The 2018 supreme court judgment that decriminalized homosexuality and the NALSA judgment of 2014 which conferred legal status and fundamental rights to the transgender community in India, are notable ones. These developments have come about after sustained activism of LGBTIAQ activists. However, gaining legal recognition is only the first in a series of positive changes that are needed for the social acceptance of the LGBTIAQ community. Our society continues to view queer people as vulgar or abnormal. This is evident in the magnitude of violent hate crimes against the community and the fact that a large majority of the community are still unable to access basic needs, including health, education, and dignified employment. This is especially true for the transgender community whose gender is called into question at every instance. In most cases, their immediate family and friends disown them rendering them homeless and vulnerable. Those who have managed access to basic resources continue to face discrimination.
Q. How do you think we can help bring about the change, be it in college or our communities? Do you think pride month and other events are important for the inclusion of the LGBTQ community?
A. I think the first step towards bringing about change is to start working on ourselves. The notion of gender performativity, introduced by the well-known feminist theorist Judith Butler might be instructive here. She argues that gender is something that we do or enact as opposed to something that we are, or something that we are born with. This is an empowering idea, because once we think along these lines, we also become conscious of how we perform or enact our genders. In other words, we need to ask ourselves how easy it has been for us to live up to societal expectations of being a girl or a boy and what has been the backlash when we have deviated from our expected gender roles. I am sure that most of us will recall incidents when we were punished, threatened, or jeered when we failed to conform to gendered expectations. In my opinion, this self-exploration process might be one way to become more empathetic towards people who express their gender and sexuality in alternative and creative ways. As for events, I think it’s essential to have them since they can draw attention and generate curiosity about these issues, which needs to be done deliberately in our attention-deficit world! In addition to programs around events such as the Pride month, dialogue and discussion on these issues are necessary, and they need to happen in a sustained manner. These can be facilitated by powerful resources such as Films, documentaries, art, and theatre.
Q. How to respond to/cope with microaggressions or disrespectful behavior?
A. Gendered bullying and harassment is a problem that women and gender/sexual minorities alike face on a day to day basis. Digital platforms have only exacerbated these problems. I do not have a simple answer to this question because the nature of the micro-aggressions and the contexts in which they play out are different. But it is crucial to stand up to disrespectful behavior and to counter it when it happens. In cases where the person feels threatened, they may approach friends or seek institutional support when bullying persists. In 2016, the UGC updated its anti-ragging policy and had barred ragging on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. Institutions are only waking up to the idea of creating anti-discrimination policies that seek to protect queer people. In the present context, I am hopeful they will be in place soon.
Q. How can one accept that he/she is queer, and gain the courage to come out to everyone?
A. I am not sure if I can answer this question satisfactorily since I lack personal experience of the specified kind to speak authoritatively on this matter. The ease of accepting or coming to terms with one’s queerness would be different for each person. It would depend on factors such as one’s body, the family environment, peer groups, religion, and other community affiliations. Coming out of the closet is a personal choice and it can be a very important milestone in a queer person’s negotiation and assertion of their sexuality. However, I must also mention that I personally don’t believe that every queer person is obliged to come out to everyone. “Coming out of the closet”, in my understanding is something that people may choose to do in particular situations, due to various compulsions. Such people deserve the support of people whom they value the most. For many trans people, whose assigned gender do not correspond to their self-identification, the question of “coming out” may not even apply because their bodies and self-expression speak of their non-conformity. People close to the concerned person need to make them feel safe and protected. In cases where the immediate family or friends may turn hostile, it is essential to seek support, either by reaching out to the broader LGBTIAQ community or queer-friendly counselors, who may be able to help with the process of coming out and dealing with difficult or hostile situations. I would also like to add that the LGBTIAQ community in India is far from homogenous and is diverse in terms of its class and caste composition. The concerns and challenges of negotiating their gender identities or sexualities would differ across these groups.
Q. What will help older generations, like our parents, broaden their mindsets and accept their queer child?
A. I think it’s important for parents of queer children to accept that there is nothing unnatural or vulgar about their child having a non-normative preference when it comes to their gender or sexuality. It’s the duty of every parent who has a queer child to educate themselves about gender and sexuality and accept their children proudly for who they are. I know of parents who have done this. I know of a father who spent days researching the internet to understand sexuality after his son came out to him. I know of a mother who began watching movies that revolved around the theme of homosexuality to come to terms with her daughter’s sexuality. To parents who refuse to accept their children’s sexuality, after repeated conversations or attempts to make them understand, I would like to share an excerpt from a poem, On Children by the well-known poet Kahlil Gibran: Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. (Credits to my sister, Parvathy for sharing the poem)
Disclaimer: The points given above are the views and steps taken by the individual. They are not fixed steps and guideline to base your college upon. Our hope is to inspire students so they can take the necessary steps here after. We hope you like it!
In conversation with Dr. Aswathy Raveendran