My girl child, born in a male body, didn’t choose this life of struggle where she is being bullied and hated for who she is… the recent incident at her school in Assam has shaken the core of our faith in institutions meant to protect and nurture our young… The school, which should be a sanctuary of learning, became an arena of judgment… This is the plight of my daughter, a plight shared by many, often silenced by the shadows of ignorance.
These are excerpts from a letter to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma by a Guwahati woman after photos of her 17-year-old transgender daughter in a swimming pool in a bikini, posted on her social media platform, forced her to leave the school last month.
While the mother has slammed the principal of the reputed co-educational school in Guwahati for “slandering”, “belittling” and “mocking” her daughter and “targeting her truth and her very being”, school authorities said the photographs “expressed vulgarity” and all that they had asked for was to have the posts removed from social media.
As the world celebrated June as Pride Month, photos of the transgender girl in a bikini, clicked during a family vacation on June 9 and posted on social media, became not just a flashpoint between the school and her family but also put a question mark on the issue of gender inclusivity in educational institutions in India.
The family has asked Sarma for a slew of changes – from embracing diversity with gender-inclusive uniform in schools to extending protection against bullying and harassment.
Also, the state’s Transgender Welfare Board has moved Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR), saying “nobody can sexualise a child’s body and a photo”.
On June 26, ASCPCR began hearings in the case, with the transgender girl’s family narrating the incident. “We heard the complainant and would now summon school authorities. After hearing both the parties, we would convene on a specific date. Thereafter, legal action would be initiated,” commission chairperson Shyamal Prasad Saikia said.
On June 10, a day after the transgender girl posted the photos, the school principal called the parents at 9pm. “‘Your daughter is disgusting and shameful. Come tomorrow and take her out of my school…’ this is what the principal told me,” the student’s mother recounted the call.
The family opted for a transfer from the school rather than what they said was “capitulating to infringement on her right to exist”.
School management said they have taken care of the 17-year-old student and counselled her throughout besides protecting her from bullying by some students.
The principal said after she posted the photographs in swimsuit “expressing vulgarity”, the school earned a “bad name” among academia and that the school could not tolerate “such behaviour”. He said the school never intended to target her and had merely asked her to remove the posts.
However, the student’s family hurled allegations at the school, saying the issue of bikini photos was an excuse to get her out of school. They alleged that she became a target because of her gender. “The school doesn’t find similar photos posted by boys disgusting or shameful. It indicates their sick mentality,” the mother said.
In the letter to Assam CM, which later went viral on social media, the student’s mother said, “My daughter, with dreams as vast as the Brahmaputra, has faced the heights of discrimination and prejudice. Yet, she stands unwavering, aspiring to contribute to society…”
“The phone call at night from the principal was a stark reminder of the battles we still face. Her social media, a space of personal expression, was scrutinised and slandered. A family pool outing, a moment of innocent joy, was twisted into a weapon of shame just because my daughter wore a bikini,” the letter said.
“We asked for a transfer certificate from the school after she was shamed and subjected to mental harassment. We decided to keep her away from such a toxic environment,” her mother said, adding that the family wants a public apology from the school. Now, she might have to forfeit an entire academic year as she was issued the transfer certificate amid the ongoing session.
State Transgender Welfare Board president Rituparna Neog said, “In the explanation given to us, the school’s view is that the photos were sexually explicit. I have forwarded this to ASCPCR, with the point that nobody can sexualise a child’s body and photos.” Neog is also a member of the National Council for Transgender Persons.
The principal told TOI that the message was clearly communicated to the family. “Body piercing, tattooing are against our rules. Posting obscene photos on social media is not desired. We told them they could delete the photos and start behaving properly or withdraw the student from the school,” he said.
“I am delighted that transgenders will now raise their voice for liberty and fairness. They glanced at my photos but failed to acknowledge my academic achievements,” said the student, who passed class X with 76% aggregate.
These are excerpts from a letter to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma by a Guwahati woman after photos of her 17-year-old transgender daughter in a swimming pool in a bikini, posted on her social media platform, forced her to leave the school last month.
While the mother has slammed the principal of the reputed co-educational school in Guwahati for “slandering”, “belittling” and “mocking” her daughter and “targeting her truth and her very being”, school authorities said the photographs “expressed vulgarity” and all that they had asked for was to have the posts removed from social media.
As the world celebrated June as Pride Month, photos of the transgender girl in a bikini, clicked during a family vacation on June 9 and posted on social media, became not just a flashpoint between the school and her family but also put a question mark on the issue of gender inclusivity in educational institutions in India.
The family has asked Sarma for a slew of changes – from embracing diversity with gender-inclusive uniform in schools to extending protection against bullying and harassment.
Also, the state’s Transgender Welfare Board has moved Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR), saying “nobody can sexualise a child’s body and a photo”.
On June 26, ASCPCR began hearings in the case, with the transgender girl’s family narrating the incident. “We heard the complainant and would now summon school authorities. After hearing both the parties, we would convene on a specific date. Thereafter, legal action would be initiated,” commission chairperson Shyamal Prasad Saikia said.
On June 10, a day after the transgender girl posted the photos, the school principal called the parents at 9pm. “‘Your daughter is disgusting and shameful. Come tomorrow and take her out of my school…’ this is what the principal told me,” the student’s mother recounted the call.
The family opted for a transfer from the school rather than what they said was “capitulating to infringement on her right to exist”.
School management said they have taken care of the 17-year-old student and counselled her throughout besides protecting her from bullying by some students.
The principal said after she posted the photographs in swimsuit “expressing vulgarity”, the school earned a “bad name” among academia and that the school could not tolerate “such behaviour”. He said the school never intended to target her and had merely asked her to remove the posts.
However, the student’s family hurled allegations at the school, saying the issue of bikini photos was an excuse to get her out of school. They alleged that she became a target because of her gender. “The school doesn’t find similar photos posted by boys disgusting or shameful. It indicates their sick mentality,” the mother said.
In the letter to Assam CM, which later went viral on social media, the student’s mother said, “My daughter, with dreams as vast as the Brahmaputra, has faced the heights of discrimination and prejudice. Yet, she stands unwavering, aspiring to contribute to society…”
“The phone call at night from the principal was a stark reminder of the battles we still face. Her social media, a space of personal expression, was scrutinised and slandered. A family pool outing, a moment of innocent joy, was twisted into a weapon of shame just because my daughter wore a bikini,” the letter said.
“We asked for a transfer certificate from the school after she was shamed and subjected to mental harassment. We decided to keep her away from such a toxic environment,” her mother said, adding that the family wants a public apology from the school. Now, she might have to forfeit an entire academic year as she was issued the transfer certificate amid the ongoing session.
State Transgender Welfare Board president Rituparna Neog said, “In the explanation given to us, the school’s view is that the photos were sexually explicit. I have forwarded this to ASCPCR, with the point that nobody can sexualise a child’s body and photos.” Neog is also a member of the National Council for Transgender Persons.
The principal told TOI that the message was clearly communicated to the family. “Body piercing, tattooing are against our rules. Posting obscene photos on social media is not desired. We told them they could delete the photos and start behaving properly or withdraw the student from the school,” he said.
“I am delighted that transgenders will now raise their voice for liberty and fairness. They glanced at my photos but failed to acknowledge my academic achievements,” said the student, who passed class X with 76% aggregate.