Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
“My dream job is to become a professor.”
“I would really like to pursue my PhD from any IIT...”
“My dream job... is just to have a job.”
Diverse backgrounds, varied age-groups, different ‘coming out’ experiences but one aim – all that the members of the LGBTQI community who attended the job fest in New Delhi wanted was a safe and inclusive working environment.
Strikingly, many people whom The Quint spoke to at the fair revealed that they traveled all the way to Delhi from two-tier cities and towns like Aligarh, Meerut, Samastipur, Gwalior just to attend the job fair.
Amid nation-wide slowdown and with average overall monthly unemployment rate over the 12 months ending January 2020 at 7.4 percent, is it even more difficult for members of the marginalised communities to find jobs?
‘Having A Job Means Independence’
For 21-year-old Saurabh Kumar from Aligarh, who is currently pursuing M Sc Botany, having a job means “having independence.”
He came out to his family as a gay man, two years ago, and was advised to be sent for medical counselling.
“I was really depressed when I came out to my family. I told them I am not interested in girls. I was sent for medical counselling. My relationship with my family changed. I feel having a job is very important. For me it means independence,” said Kumar, who aspires to become a professor.
‘Want to Pursue PhD From IIT’
While she is already teaching as a guest faculty in an government college in Bihar’s Samastipur district, Krishna Thakur dreams of pursuing her PhD in Geo Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
A postgraduate from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchur, Thakur says she came out as a transwoman at the time of giving her interview for her job.
“I used to wear pant-shirt earlier as my ID card says I am male. I used to feel very uncomfortable – also because sometimes, the kids used to call me ma’am and sometimes sir. When I joined, they scoffed that a hijra has come to teach us.”Krishna Thakur
Her reason for coming to the RISE job fair is two-fold – she wants to help her queer students look for better opportunities and also look for a more inclusive working space for herself.
‘Just Want a Job’
24-year-old Kushi Sharma was born male but asserts that she has always identified herself as someone belonging to the female gender.
“I am female and I want to live as one,” says Kushi, who has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, and has also come all the way from a Bihar town.
She says that her dream job is to just have a job as people belonging to the queer community are bogged down by the pressure of “coming out.”
“I worked in a well-known auto company for 5 months – but I knew that it was not an inclusive space. I wanted to quit. I don’t have a job right now. But hopefully, I will find one,” said Kushi.
A first-time job seeker, Priyal Shivhare explains that she does not have any apprehension about joining the workforce. A resident of Gwalior, Priyal is currently pursuing BBA Entrepreneurship.
She identifies herself as a lesbian and came out recently to her family and few friends. She hopes to find a job in marketing, public relations or photography.
“For a lot of people from my community, having a job means independence. I have been seeing a counsellor and she has told me that being queer is a part of the identity but not the identity itself. If we are determined to do what we want, nothing can deter us,” says a confident Priyal.
‘Want to Give Opportunities to People Like Us’
Akanksha Singh, a media professional, quit her job last year to pursue her dream – having her own business.
“The Indian corporate world is not as progressive as we would like it to be. We don’t have a lot of LGBTQ inclusivity or advocacy programmes, in general. When you are an entrepreneur, you do things your way. When I get the chance to expand, I would hire more women and more queer people like me,” said Akansha, who runs ‘Cutiepies’, a bakery.
Mithun Chatterjee, an entrepreneur who identifies himself as a gay man, echoes Akanksha. He runs three business startups and says that his motive for becoming an entrepreneur is to “give back to the community.”
A Microbiologist by qualification, Chatterjee started out on his own in 2014.
“Let’s be honest. Inclusive spaces in India are rare and if I am in the position to create one, then why not? I only employ people from the community. When I started out, there were hardly any queer-owned business startups. Now look..,” he says.
Gap Between Rural, Urban Unemployment?
But despite most organisations addressing equal employment opportunities, finding jobs in safe, inclusive workspaces amid an economic slowdown is making the LGBTQ youth anxious.
The rural unemployment rate alone has seen a sharp fall from 8 percent in October 2019 to 6.9 percent in December 2019, and further to 6 percent in January 2020.
In urban areas of the country, the unemployment rate was at 9.7 percent in January, almost matching its recent peak of 9.71 percent in August 2019.
There has been an increase in monthly variations in the unemployment rates, as well as an increase in the gap between rural and urban unemployment rates.
Amid slashed growth forecasts and not enough job opportunities, will the LGBTQ youth realise their dreams?
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