Media ignored LGBT issues
Leaders discussing the ignorance LGBT community faces by media
By Nikita Sharma
TheHigh Commission of Canada in India, in association with India, held a webinar titled ‘Covid-19 and Beyond: LGBTI in the Media ’. The webinar was addressed by by six expert epeakers.
The CEO of India Writes Manish Chand initiated the webinar by welcoming all the speakers and attendees. The speakers wereRudrani Chettri who opened the first LGBTQ modelling agency in India, Sharif Rangekar, a communications consultant and writer, Dhamini Ratnam, Associate Editor of Hindustan Times , Dhrubo Jyoti, Assistant Editor of Hindustan Times, Sakshi Juneja, founder of Gyasi Family and Manvendra Singh Gohil, the world’s first openly gay Prince. The attendees consisted of journalists,journalism students and writers.
A video presentation of how Canada evolved and legalised the LGBTQ community was shared by Chand. Deirdre Kent, the Deputy High Commissioner of the High Commission of Canada in India, thanked the speakers and the journalists for the role they are playing in the recognition of the LGBTQ community. Archana Mirajkar, Communications officer at the High Commission started the session by asking the speakers a question on which the speakers shared their views.
The first speaker was Chettri who shared her experience of how she was on the streets helping transgender people by providing them food.
On being asked how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the LGBTQ community socially, she said: “The media talked a lot about migrant labours and daily wagers but no one even considers transgender people as migrants. They have no access to so called ‘normal jobs’, and have one or two ways of survival either sex work or begging these people didn’t have anywhere to go to in lockdown,” Rudrani said.
In response to Mirajkar’squestion how the LGBTQ community was covered in the media, especially during the pandemic, Dhrubo Jyoti stated that the media did not talk much about the distress of the LGBTQ community in the pandemic and even before that.
“The pandemic showed the media how the material questions of healthcare, education, jobs are very important and the media should focus on these issues when it comes to representing the LGBTQ community … and in the future how the media can help the LGBTQ community, give them a channel to get back from the massive blow of the pandemic”, Dhrubo said.
Rangekar in response to media’s sensitivity towards issues that affect the LGBTQ community said, “the Press doesn’t dwell into the issues that affect the community at large. “I received calls from strangers on messenger saying they just came out to their families and now there is a lockdown. They were scared and depressed,” he said.
He believes that the media does not have enough knowledge about the diversity of the LGBTQ community.
The media is not aware of the problems faced by the community and that is why there is less coverage of the main issues related to the community.
On being asked what is the role of media in stereotyping of the LGBTQ community, Dhamini Ratnam replied, “there are different forms and channels of media.
“Media serves as a mirror of the society and yes media is not that aware of the problems faced by the community.”
She believes that media plays a very important role in the society and in the present time media has started providing a voice to the big LGBTQ community.
“The pandemic taught me how much responsibility an activist has. People look at us as their leaders”, said Manvendra Singh Gohil when he was asked what role do activists play in spreading awareness about the LGBTQ community and what should be their interface with the media. He believes that the community and the activists should stand on a united front to tackle all issues.
The last speaker, Sakshi Juneja was asked what can the media and non-media platforms do to help the LGBTQ community in times of crisis like this pandemic. Sakshi replied, “We at Gaysi brought people who need help in terms of mental health to people who can give that help. Our motive was to start healthy conversations.” She was overwhelmed to see groups that provide mental health support come forward and start conversations on topics like gender and sexuality on social media platforms.
A series of videos of activists working on the frontline and helping the community and spreading awareness about the community were presented elaborating how communication is necessary to help the queer people. How it is vital to have knowledge about the queer community in order to help them.
The story first appeared in The Times of Bennett, the lab newspaper produced by the first semester students of TheTimes School of Media .
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The
The CEO of India Writes Manish Chand initiated the webinar by welcoming all the speakers and attendees. The speakers were
A video presentation of how Canada evolved and legalised the LGBTQ community was shared by Chand. Deirdre Kent, the Deputy High Commissioner of the High Commission of Canada in India, thanked the speakers and the journalists for the role they are playing in the recognition of the LGBTQ community. Archana Mirajkar, Communications officer at the High Commission started the session by asking the speakers a question on which the speakers shared their views.
The first speaker was Chettri who shared her experience of how she was on the streets helping transgender people by providing them food.
On being asked how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the LGBTQ community socially, she said: “The media talked a lot about migrant labours and daily wagers but no one even considers transgender people as migrants. They have no access to so called ‘normal jobs’, and have one or two ways of survival either sex work or begging these people didn’t have anywhere to go to in lockdown,” Rudrani said.
In response to Mirajkar’squestion how the LGBTQ community was covered in the media, especially during the pandemic, Dhrubo Jyoti stated that the media did not talk much about the distress of the LGBTQ community in the pandemic and even before that.
“The pandemic showed the media how the material questions of healthcare, education, jobs are very important and the media should focus on these issues when it comes to representing the LGBTQ community … and in the future how the media can help the LGBTQ community, give them a channel to get back from the massive blow of the pandemic”, Dhrubo said.
Rangekar in response to media’s sensitivity towards issues that affect the LGBTQ community said, “the Press doesn’t dwell into the issues that affect the community at large. “I received calls from strangers on messenger saying they just came out to their families and now there is a lockdown. They were scared and depressed,” he said.
He believes that the media does not have enough knowledge about the diversity of the LGBTQ community.
The media is not aware of the problems faced by the community and that is why there is less coverage of the main issues related to the community.
On being asked what is the role of media in stereotyping of the LGBTQ community, Dhamini Ratnam replied, “there are different forms and channels of media.
“Media serves as a mirror of the society and yes media is not that aware of the problems faced by the community.”
She believes that media plays a very important role in the society and in the present time media has started providing a voice to the big LGBTQ community.
“The pandemic taught me how much responsibility an activist has. People look at us as their leaders”, said Manvendra Singh Gohil when he was asked what role do activists play in spreading awareness about the LGBTQ community and what should be their interface with the media. He believes that the community and the activists should stand on a united front to tackle all issues.
The last speaker, Sakshi Juneja was asked what can the media and non-media platforms do to help the LGBTQ community in times of crisis like this pandemic. Sakshi replied, “We at Gaysi brought people who need help in terms of mental health to people who can give that help. Our motive was to start healthy conversations.” She was overwhelmed to see groups that provide mental health support come forward and start conversations on topics like gender and sexuality on social media platforms.
A series of videos of activists working on the frontline and helping the community and spreading awareness about the community were presented elaborating how communication is necessary to help the queer people. How it is vital to have knowledge about the queer community in order to help them.
The story first appeared in The Times of Bennett, the lab newspaper produced by the first semester students of The
Join exciting programmes offered by Bennett University
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