Celina Jaitley, who is a prominent voice for the rights of gays and lesbians in India, is now a part of the United Nation’s new year-long campaign for equality and justice for people in the world practising alternate sexuality. A statement from the United Nations Human Rights names Celina among its global celebrities to join the campaign: “A number of celebrities with a commitment to equality have pledged their support for Free & Equal by becoming UN equality champions and helping to spread campaign messages and materials via social media. These include the pop star Ricky Martin, South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Bollywood actress Celina Jaitly, and Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury.”
The campaign aims to raise awareness about homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination, and encourage greater respect for the rights of LGBT people. The release adds, “Over the coming year, it will release a variety of creative content along the lines of The Riddle, a video released by OHCHR for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and The Story of a Mother from Brazil, which is the first in a series of films interviewing the family members of LGBT people around the world.”
Celina, who's in Singapore, says, “I have spent half of my life fighting for this cause and finally with the backing of United Nations Human Rights, and with the help of people I respect and love, I can take the campaign to another level. To get a platform like this to reach out to people across the world is a dream come true.”
Celina feels there is a long way to go before we come anywhere close to realising equality for the LGBT community in India. She adds, “In India there is only lip service for them. Equality is a basic human right and it cannot be denied to any community.”
The actress shares that getting important people to support her in this cause is not easy. “A lot of people in the entertainment industry feel that if you support gay rights you might be considered a part of the gay community. I feel mainstream sections are only able to mask their intolerance towards homosexuality. Is that enough? Gay people should not be segregated at work places or in social spaces because of their sexual preference. I hope to work towards that through the United Nations initiative.”
But campaign apart, Celina’s prime focus are her twins. Says the proud mother, “Until they are two, they need me and I need them too. So I am completely focused on them though I still need to keep going to Mumbai constantly for my endorsements.” She also intends to start producing films from next year, “But my first production will not have me in the cast.”
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