This post I feel captures the tension between the trans community and the rest of the queer community, so I present it here.

Monologue of a Gaay in the city

No Trans please…. we are Gay !

May 31, 2008 at 2:22 pm (Uncategorized)

Living in a closeted society, it takes real guts for a guy to dress up in drag in the middle of the night and stand in the middle of Juhu Tara Rd searching for sex. Some gays generally do it in bars dressed as men, although for them it’s not a means of livelihood.

There has always been a kind of love-hate relationship between gays and cross-dressers, or gay guys who show any amount of effeminate behavior. Ken, my 28-year-old gay friend had his own views about them and I had to hear them in the middle of the night, when we saw a cross-gender male prostitute. We stopped for coffee at the Barista near Prithvi theatre. We had met up on Saturday a day before the Bombay Dost ‘Sunday High’ film screenings—they were to play movies I had chosen.

“These guys give us a bad name,” Ken said after he ordered his coffee. I had a confused look on my face and I looked at the guy who took our order. Ken sensed my confusion and cleared my doubt by saying: “Not him! I am talking about trannies.”  I didn’t comment, but asked him if he would come for the Sunday High at Humsafar Trust’s drop-in center. He retorted, “When did you start going to places like these?”  I asked, “Places like what?”  He began telling me a story his friend had told him about Humsafar. “There was this guy who went some event there. He was the only straight-acting gay guy and was forced by trannies to dance with them, and these trannies were flirting with him… blah, blah…”

“Whatever!” was what I had to say about his story. I explained to Ken, “See, I have been there a few times. I am not saying that there are no cross-dressers there, but that they flirt with guys and all that is just bullshit. Humsafar is an organization that deals with sexual minorities and transgender are also a sexual minority, the same way you and I as gay men are.” Ken took a sip from his cup and said, “Why can’t you have a board like ‘No trannies please, we are gay’ at the Sunday High.” I made a face and told him that even if it were possible, I would not do such a thing. He was surprised. “Bucci boy, fighting for the rights of sexual minorities,” and added, “Now I wonder where the word Bucci came from. Must be the influence of some drag queen.” We both laughed at the joke and I called him a bitch. “Well, Kenny, you have the bitchiness of a tranny. You have got it so naturally; I believe you are a closeted one.” We finished our coffee and left Barista. I did not ask him again if he’s coming or not because I believe each person has his own viewpoint.