Journey from a transgender to An Activist in Society - Gauri Sawant || Orange City Lit Fest 2019

6th Dec 2019 Day 2 || Banyan Hall || Session 7 || at OCLF 2019 My journey from a transgender to An Activist in Society By Shree Gauri Sawant
I was born in Bhavanipeth in Pune as Ganesh Sawant, as a police officer's son, being raised in an even more masochistic environment than normal, in the sarkari quarters. My mother didn't want me to come into this world, and even tried to get an abortion in the seventh month. But the doctor told her that this baby was now so evolved and strong that one couldn’t destroy her even if she were slammed against a wall. It was into such yes-and-no back-and-forth circumstances that I was born, so I also turned out with an equally confused gender identity.
My behavior was so effeminate that anybody and everybody would make fun of me, calling me names. Dad would fire bullets at work and come home to a son that everyone made fun of. He was not always like this. When I was young, like every other father, he would take me on bike rides and love me equally. But there has never been any discourse in my family about sexuality, gender etc.; they were not sensitized at all. Once, my father told me, ‘Tu road pe taali bajaate ghoomega’. It hurt me a lot. This other time, when I called him for some work, my 'hello' itself was different, so he told me, ‘Kya hijre jaisa baat karta hai ’ (why do you talk like a eunuch?) So, I never answered the phone when he would call.