France: NO ENTRY VISA For TRANSGENDERS!

 

Translation (with minor changes) of the Original Post entitled “FUCK OFF INDIA” by Livingsmile Vidya, a transgender  who is a writer, assistant director and a stage performer lives in Chennai, India.  She is the author of the book “I am Vidya” – which is written in Tamil and then translated into most Indian languages. | I am Vidya – amazon link

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Being neglected and humiliated and being poor are the permanent identities in my history. This is an after effect for my greed to live as a trans gender with some pride even after happened to be born as a sexual minority in this country. Especially it is a higher punishment for my yearning to live as a  performing artist [stage actor].

Until today all the negligence and other humiliations were gifted to me by the Indian Government.  But today it is given in great amount by the government of  France too.

I was invited to this literary gathering [38th Tamil Literary Gathering \ Ilakiya Santhippu | February 19 – 20, 2011  – Paris, France] which is annually organized by my friends like Shoba and other literary people. But France Embassy has rejected my Visa. The reason behind their refusal is that they have no guarantee that I will be returning  to India after the event (Since I don’t even have ways to live in my own country, they think I will go to France and become a governor!)

Jokes apart, the reasons they gave for their mistrust are:

1. unmarried

2. no family background.

3. No permanent income & employment

4. low bank balance, and no mentionable assets under my name.

In a country where, they don’t even consider transgenders as ‘humans’, what is the possibility for  my marriage?

Which family would willing to accept transgenders?

Who would tell the France Embassy that no matter what a trans gender studied, in this holy land the available work for them are begging and sex trade only?  When there is no employment where can one go for assets?

[I have submitted] So many Documents! Recommendation letters! paper cuttings! photos..! [Not to mention the] harassment [to get proper documents]…! and many more. But even when the Event Organizers agreed on covering all the traveling and other expenses, Visa was denied because of above 4 reasons.  Instead of these reasons, they should of directly said to my face, that there is ‘NO VISA FOR TRANSGENDERS’.

Dear Friends, what gives me this non ceasing anger is not the fact that i cant go to a foreign country, but the fact I am in a neglectable state even by foreign countries [like France].

Any way, thanks for all your understanding!

More than anything right now in this right moment  I just want to curse this country [India] as much as I can.

related links:

LGBT rights, France:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_France

to Contact FRANCE EMBASSY in India:

http://ambafrance-in.org/france_inde/spip.php?rubrique7 | webmaster@ambafrance-in.org