In November last year, trans woman Aneera Kabeer (35) went on her 14th job interview in two months, wearing a cap, men’s clothes and a mask that hid most of her face.
The 35-year-old says BBC that she felt compelled to do so, due to the transphobic comments she had received in previous job interviews.
Dagbladet has been in contact with Kabeer. She says she does not want to be interviewed, but refers to the statements in the BBC.
Plaintiff for trans rumors
After the 14th job interview, things were finally going well for Kabeer. She got a part-time job at a school in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
But only after two months does she claim that she was unfairly fired because she is a trans woman.
The school’s principal has reportedly refused to comment on the matter, but a local politician, P. Krishnan, says to BBC that the principal had informed him that Kabeer had not been dismissed, but instead misunderstood the situation.
After that, she saw no other way out. In January, Kabeer sought legal help for a request for active euthanasia.
“All I want is to work and make money, but it has become impossible to do that,” she told the BBC.
She informs Dagbladet that she did it to get her message across.
Comment shakes: – Earns on transphobia
Responded immediately
Kabeer had read that there are several countries that allow active euthanasia, such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.
In India, however, only passive euthanasia is allowed, which means ending life-prolonging treatment or not treating sick people who want to die from their disease, according to Large medical encyclopedia.
Therefore, she also knew that her wish would not be fulfilled.
She did it anyway to get the attention of the authorities – and she got it.
In fact, she never had any intentions of taking her own life, and she emphasizes that her actions were not meant to inspire others.
The news of Kabeer went viral, and the Minister of Education of Kerala Shri. V. Sivankutty responded immediately. He met with Kabeer and she has now started in a temporary job at a government office in the city of Palakkad, according to the local newspaper in Kerala, Mathrubhumi.
The rival rages: – Unfair
Lots of resistance
Growing up in Palakkad, Kabeer knew early on that she was born in the wrong body.
She was encouraged by the family to smoke and exercise, because they thought it could make her more “manly”.
“I tried for a long time to live the way my family wanted me to live,” she told the BBC.
But pretending to be someone she was not made her unhappy.
Jeanett is non-binary
Kabeer had an early dream of becoming a teacher. Therefore, she worked hard to realize this dream.
Therefore, she now has three master’s degrees, including one in education.
Nevertheless, she has experienced a lot of resistance in job interviews. Among other things, she has received unpleasant questions. One of the employers asked how he could trust that she would not consider the children in a sexual way.
– I did not get jobs for which I was overqualified, she says.
When she finally got the job, where she resigned after two months, she told the truth about who she really was.
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Popular protest method
Such dramatic forms of protest, as Kabeer did, are not uncommon in India.
Over the years, several Indians have boats the hunger strike and hosted in “Water protest” over several daysto demand justice or system change.
Sociologists believe that several Indians may have been inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent civil disobedience with hunger strikes.
Shelves change
Many see the power of such protests – especially in a country like India, where the authorities are often slow to take action.
There are today over five million trans people in India and that was not before in 2014 that transgender people received the same rights as others. Nevertheless, there are still many prejudices against transgender people in the country.
Shared first photo after the unveiling
Many struggle to access both education and medical care, and many are forced to work as prostitutes because they do not get a job.
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