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Journalism of Courage
Students and the principal of St John’s High School in Chandigarh pledged on Tuesday to participate in the upcoming pride parade in support of LGBTQ rights in the city. The school’s students will also be initiated into awareness activities, which will allow them to voice with the challenges and marginalisation faced by the transgender community.
“The school is one of the first of its kind to take a progressive stance and engage with the transgender population. Previously also, the school has engaged with the community. Two groups of students also came to the dera to interact with us,” says Dhananjay Chauhan, referring to an accommodation or a hub of accommodations, where many transgenders reside. Chauhan is a transgender student from Panjab University and an activist for trans-rights in the city.
“We took proper permissions from parents and sent the children to interact with the community in their deras. I believe, it is our responsibility to sensitise our children at an early age regarding the rights of marginalised groups, such as transgenders. That is why, our school supports this association and interaction,” says Kavita Das, principal of St John’s High School.
Apart from committing to participate in the pride parade in March, the school also decided to dedicate a notice board for creating awareness and providing information on the latest updates about the lives of the transgender community. Besides that, the students who are involved in various social justice projects, will remain in contact with the dera and its residents.
“It is so heartening to get such a support from the mainstream. We have always been marginalised, misunderstood and deprived of the right to a dignified life. If young people of our nation are made aware about our community, the future can prove to be a much more supportive environment for us,” says Chauhan.
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