LGBT Influencers Who Defied The Idea Of ‘Assigning Gender At Birth’!

Written By: Sonali

September 17, 2020

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We are in the 21st century, post 377 era but still half of the ‘janta’ struggle to understand the very obvious fact that the gender assigned at birth has nothing to do with one’s sexuality!

While the homo sapiens managed to explain the theory of polygamy and convinced themselves that menstruation is not some ‘jaanleva bimari’, I couldn’t understand why is it so hard for them to understand a ‘male’ need not like ‘females’ and that he may or may not like any gender of his choice and vice versa.

I’m introducing you today to five of the well-known influencers from the LGBT community who were assigned ‘male’ as the gender on their birth, but they proved it had nothing to do with their sexual orientation!

Alex Matthew

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#TBT to when I performed for first time in #Mumbai. It was memorable. I met many people who are near and dear to me ❤ Picture Courtesy: @agentsofishq #Mayamma #mayathedragqueen #indiandragqueen #brownqueens #dragqueensofindia #rainbow #smile #pride #southindian #dragrace #dragperformance #dragqueenart #rupaulsdragracelive #happiness #bangalore #LGBT #queer #fabulous #queenoflove #lockdown2020 #entertainer #performance #showqueen #instadragqueen
A post shared by മായമ്മ || Alex Mathew (@mayathedragqueen) on Sep 18, 2020 at 1:45am PDT

Alex, also known as the ‘Maya the Drag queen’ is one of the rare talents you will ever meet. The artist identifies self as Queer and is popularly known by the character ‘mayamma’ whose motto is to bring out and express all atrocities faced by the LGBT+ community.

Alex, through his art, tries to show people that drag performance is an art which has nothing to do with the gender or community the performer belongs to. The character ‘mayamma’ wishes to inspire women to be strong and fight back abuse.

Rohit Singh

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Being non-binary means for me is finally being in a space where I feel conscious and confident about the decisions I make in life and not having my body be regulated by one tight narrative. It has created pathways for me to be more creative, more vulnerable, and more resilient in the face of adversity. Being non-binary means everything to me, it has helped shape me into the person and advocate I am today. #makeup #makeuphasnogender #reels #gendernonconforming #genderfluid
A post shared by Rohit Singh (@roro_love_makeup) on Sep 4, 2020 at 7:24am PDT

Rohit, a professional make-up artist, is breaking all gender-based stereotypes by showing that make-up is not gender-specific.

For him, make-up is a form of art which is nothing less than magic and on which he doesn’t want any type of societal rules.

Sushant Divgikar

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Namaskarrrrrr !!! My hustle has been real , it’s been hard and I’m just putting it out there now and forever , I’m never backing down. You can stare at me but never look through me because I’m THAT diamond. I’ve only been taught by my lovely parents to believe in myself and love everything I do. So here I am rocking these custom made shoes which I am absolutely lovinggggg. RANI ke taraf se HAAAN HAIII !! I’m delighted and extremely honoured to be among the #50SuperstarsOfChange By @adidasoriginals #SuperstarsOfChange #adidasSuperstars Design credits for the custom made shoes – Chaitanya Dixit ( the artist who worked on making this design come alive ) @chaitanya_dixit And to everyone out there that has been told you’re not good enough , I just want to tell you all , pay no attention to Naysayers because they ain’t paying your bills ✌🏼 #queendom #queen #slay #rani #ranikohenur #sushantdivgikar #lgbt #queer #pride #adidasoriginals #custommade
A post shared by Sushant Divgikr/ Rani KoHEnur (@sushantdivgikr) on Sep 7, 2020 at 6:28am PDT

Sushant, the winner of Mr Gay India 2014, is one you can call an all-rounder. From being a well-known singer to a performer to a drag artist, his talents are beyond exemplary.

His drag queen character ‘Rani KoHEnur’, is the first-ever drag queen who got telecasted on national television. He is also known for his great acting skills and confident presentations.

Vqueeram Aditya Sahai

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the airport. again. same unimaginative rules. so much grey and white light it could be suitcase of a manager. then comes the tranny. no longer begging in the streets. none of the paraphernalia she must draw around herself to get some money because respect is impossible. a life even more so, if there is a threshold to the impossible that can be crossed without a boat. here is a english wali tranny. not exactly the shemale of their fantasies because she doesn’t have the boobs but also because she thinks she shouldn’t be fucked with. what does she know? when my bags are checked twice & then by hand, when the security person needs the neck of a tennis umpire going from my body to my id, back & forth till convinced that they are the right person to check my wrongful personhood. when before i have arrived at the desk, there is a huddle of every security staff behind the counter to smirk, amuse, wonder. an insatiable curiosity. but i’m the cat to be sacrificed. the guard will run the machine twice, ask questions about every beep since there is a zipper on the pants where he doesn’t expect it, there is a belly ring i must lift my tee to show, will ask questions about other curiosities i may be hiding, laugh at his own sexualisation of the moment, & then he will grope. twice. no tranny has made it to the stereotype of a terrorist so why is security so invested in my gender? it is simple. the security regimes wants to ensure the order of things, ensure passengers at the airport are given a normal experience. i don’t belong there. so i must be violated because i cannot be thrown out. so i don’t have the gall to show up again, given i have the gall to wear what i’m wearing. in the ways they join ranks, hold fort, become one leviathan against my audacity & transgression; my violation allows for the distraught to regroup. i upset the normalcy of their lives & so in the knowledge of what one of their own did to me, in the silence of my protest, in the high fives after i pick my bag there is the reformed community, the renewed normal. this is the vulnerable with guns. the trouble of anaesthetised surfaces. the community i help build. a virus a whole body fights.
A post shared by Vqueeram Aditya Sahai (@vqueer) on Jul 31, 2019 at 8:55pm PDT

Vikramaditya, a former professor at Ambedkar University, is known for keeping an unconventional view of the gender binary. Her work on gender inequality, ideology and opinions, and violence on LGBT+ shows his firm stand on LGBT+ issues.

She encourages people to love their sexuality and gender while accepting the realities and taking necessary steps to prevent injustice.

Vivek Shraya

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The 10 year anniversary edition of GOD LOVES HAIR is officially out today 🥳 In 2010, when I self-published this book, I had no manager, no agent, no publicist, no MFA, no writing community, and obviously, no publisher. I also had no giant motivations outside from a desire to share my story. It’s been a surprising journey, moving into the publishing industry—from hand selling copies at craft fairs and bookstores refusing to stock my book to being a staff pick on front tables, from creating a fake PR email address to send out press kits to having the support of publishing teams, from being ineligible for writing grants and prizes to being invited to be on literary juries, from sleeping in airports on my first book tour to sometimes having travel expenses covered, and of course, from being self-published to now being a publisher. I take none of this for granted especially because the job of an artist, as we’ve seen this year, is a precarious one. And despite the privileges and access I have gained, what I am proudest of is that I had the courage to write and release this book. I am so grateful to each and everyone of you who purchased an early copy, and especially grateful to my close friends who convinced me that my story was worth sharing. I wouldn’t have a career and the sense of purpose I’ve had this past decade without all of you ❤️ Big shout out to @juliananeufeld_draws for being such a wonderful collaborator and my publisher @arsenalpulp for celebrating this milestone. Signed copies and limited edition posters illustrated by Juliana are available @glassbookshop. Catch you on my ig live tomorrow at 8 PM EST for the book launch event! #godloveshair 📸: @vanessaheins 💄: @alanna_of_love
A post shared by VIVEK SHRAYA 🆚 (@vivekshraya) on Sep 15, 2020 at 4:00am PDT

Vivek, the author of the best-selling book ‘I’m Afraid of Men’, is also the creator of the album ‘Part‑Time Woman’. She is an artist whose work can be found in different genres –– music, visual art, literature, film, theatre –– you call it, she probably has done it.

Her work aims to educate and inspire their audience about topics, including mental health, queerness, and inclusion.

Share your story with us & we will share it with the world! #MyStory #LGBT

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Sonali

A 'non-9-5 desk job' ambivert geek who chooses her own audience, Sonali loves sharing stories and finding the corners where humanity still exists! She believes that every individual's story is unique and special. She loves writing about the untouched and unspoken segments of society. When not writing, you can find her listening to someone's stories or playing with dogs. Sonali values mental health and encourages people to speak their heart out!

Karnam Malleshwari: The First Indian Female To Win An Olympic Medal!

Written By: Sonali

November 28, 2020 | 09:03 PM |

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Indian sportswomen have been the pride of the country!

Saina Nehwal created history by winning the first medal in badminton at Olympics, 2012 — MC Mary Kom won a bronze in the first edition of women’s boxing at the Olympics — Sakshi Malik and PV Sindhu won bronze and silver respectively, India’s only medals in Olympics 2016.

All of this though would not have been possible without the inspiration and immense self-confidence that weightlifter Karnam Malleswari gave Indian women at the Sydney Games in 2000.

The legendary Indian weightlifter earned a bronze medal on September 19, 2000, to become the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

Early life

Karnam Malleswari came from a family of sportspeople. Her father Karnam Manohar was a college-level football player while her four sisters had taken to weightlifting. But ironically, it was her mother Shyamala, the only non-sporting person in the family, who encouraged Karnam Malleswari to pursue a dream.

The story goes that a 12-year-old Karnam had been turned away by coach Neelamshetty Appanna, who taught weightlifting at a local gymnasium in the small town of Voosavanipeta, Andhra Pradesh because she was deemed too thin and weak for the sport.

However, Karnam’s mother gave belief to the disheartened youngster. “She told me that if I felt bad about people doubting my ability, then I should prove them wrong by going out there and pursuing weightlifting,” said Karnam Malleswari, who started training on her own soon after.

The turning point

The turning point for Karnam Malleswari, however, came at a national camp ahead of the 1990 Asian Games, which incidentally the Indian weightlifter was not a part of.

She had tagged along as a visitor with her elder sister Krishna Kumari, who had been selected to the camp. It was here that Karnam Malleswari was spotted by Olympic and world champion Leonid Taranenko, who coached the Indian weightlifters.

Taranenko noticed Karnam keenly observing the proceedings, so he approached her and asked her to do a few drills. It was enough to convince him of her talent, and he immediately recommended Karnam to the Bangalore Sports Institute.

In her first junior national weightlifting championships in 1990, Karnam Malleswari broke nine national records in the 52kg category and a year later, she won silver in her maiden senior national championship.

It was the start of the golden period in Karnam Malleswari’s career.

Becoming the champion

Before long success came calling, Malleswari placed third in the World Championships in 1993 and then followed up with consecutive 54kg world titles in 1994 and 1995, before bookending her run with another third-place effort in 1996. She is also the first Indian woman weightlifter to win gold at the World Championships.

A women’s weightlifting event was then added for the first time at the Olympics at Sydney 2000.

Though all eyes were on Karnam, not many gave her a chance because she had not won a World Championship medal since 1996. Moreover, she had also shifted to the 69kg, a category she had never competed in at the world stage.

However, Karnam Malleswari loved proving people wrong, and she did so once again in Sydney. A gold may have been lost, but it gave Karnam Malleswari an Olympic bronze medal in what was her first trip to the Games. History had been created, and the country celebrated a new hero.

“I was not affected by what people said about me. I know what I should do and what I should not. I have to participate in the competition, go on to the stage and lift the weight,” she told Sportstar after the extraordinary feat.

The historic achievement made her an instant household name and the masses named her ‘The Iron Lady’. She remains, till date, the only Indian woman weightlifter to have won an Olympic medal.

Ending the career

Malleswari was planning to make a comeback at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. However, the unfortunate demise of her father halted those plans. She devised another return, at the 2004 Olympics in Greece, but a severe back injury meant that she was not at her best and she called it quits after that event.

As it turned out, Karnam Malleswari’s Olympic medal turned out to be her last international medal. But it had given her a lasting legacy, and her achievement became the springboard on which more Indian women brought laurels for India.

Along the way, she was conferred with numerous prestigious awards by the Indian government, including the Arjuna Award (1994), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (1999), and the Padma Shri (1999).

Aside from that, Malleswari also founded the Karnam Malleswari Foundation, first-of-its-kind weightlifting, and powerlifting academy to see her beloved sport flourish in India.

“I feel proud to have created this pathway for our girls and to see them winning Olympic medals. Some even tell me today, ‘Ma’am you started it all’, so I feel delighted to have changed the perception.”

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