Trans and even gay, lesbian individuals face a lot of discrimination when they try to rent out a flat in Mumbai. The city which is said to be more accepting has forced many members from trans community to stay in bad accommodation, because good ones aren’t accepting them.
By Varun Sigh
Trans Phobia does exist even in a city like Mumbai, especially when the members of the trans, gay and lesbian community step out to find an accommodation for themselves.
Roxy, came to Mumbai from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, a man by birth, she finds it difficult to be in a male’s body. She dresses like a woman, and lives like one. When she came out, the first thing her family did was asked her to leave.
She somehow managed to convince her mother, and was allowed to stay at home, however, it was for a short period and she was asked to leave, once the family came to know about her boyfriend.
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Finally she moved to Mumbai in 2013, initially she would not dress as a woman, and be in the clothes like an ordinary man. However, soon the landlord came to know about Roxy and within 15-days she was asked to vacate her house.
“In the first two years, I would be forced to leave a rented apartment within 15-days to one month. The moment the landlord or some neighbours would come to know about me they would not allow me to stay,” said Roxy.
Roxy and her boyfriend would then work in hotel for few months accumulate funds to rent a house. However, their stay at the rented apartment would be shortlived. Finally Roxy and her boyfriend found an apartment in Ulhasnagar. “The home where we stay now, treats us well, they consider me their son and daughter and I don’t even have to live with any fear. But the struggle to find a place on rent for people like me, is real,” she said.
Vicky Shinde, a trans woman wanted to move and stay in an apartment. “I looked for a house for two years at stretch but most landlords would not allow me a flat. The main reason was people would attribute the fear of commercial sex work on us,” said Shinde.
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Vicky struggled for two years at stretch and was later forced to give up her dream of residing in a building. She says that most people avoid them homes because of the tag of commercial sex worker being attributed to the trans community.
Trans woman face a lot of discrimination, they aren’t given a home even if they have money. Nishtha Nishant wanted to rent an apartment in Goregaon, she was asked to find a house in Malvani and other areas where majority of the population from the trans community reside.
“I also was denied home because of the fear of commercial sex work tag. I tried at least a dozen times. After 10-12 failed attempts I found a house only because of my family or else I would have never got a home for myself,” said Nishtha.
Members from trans community face discrimination at various stages of life, from work to accommodation. While many in the society believe in taking blessings from the members of trans community the same doesn’t want to treat them equally.
