Changing gender misconceptions

ReThink Bangladesh hosted Jannat Gaicche at their stage Bindudhara in Dhanmondi recently. The event consisted of a musical performance by Jannat Jahan, a transgender woman, who has been honing her musical skills under the guidance of ReThink for the past few months.

The event focused on bringing Jannat to light. She shared her story of evolving from being a socially marginalised individual to finding enlightenment through following her passion for music.

The show started off with a performance of Mayabono Biharini by Rabindranath Tagore and the audience was instantly taken aback by the vigour with which Jannat sang. This was followed by a performance of Bhenge Mor Ghorer Chabi and a few folk numbers. Two other transgender students of ReThink came forward to share their thoughts on society, tolerance and what it means to be third gender individuals in Bangladesh.

While enjoying the show, I felt a strange sense of wonder, as I was seeing a transgender woman in a new light. Even though the Bangladesh government has now acknowledged people of a third gender, the social stigma surrounding their existence is still hindering them from finding acceptance in today's society. An event like Jannat Gaicche puts the third gender in the much needed spotlight, allowing us to understand them better and be more respectful of their community.

This sentiment was shared by one of the speakers during the show, H A Bobby, a transgender writer and International Human Rights worker. She spoke of the various aspects of being a transgender woman and the many misconceptions surrounding the definition of transgender. Through music, stories and laughter, she encouraged the audience to not be judgmental towards transgender people and to be more tolerant because everyone deserves to coexist in nature.

The show ended with H A Bobby handing a token of appreciation to Jannat. Since 2015, ReThink Bangladesh has worked with around 500 people of the third gender, providing them with support in performance arts and other forms of practical education to create employment opportunities for them.