Online hate nakko

This week my dost Gauri Sawant created history on KBC by being not just a transgender who belongs to the hijra community, but a transgender mother on KBC. The community that was once ill-treated and socially ostracised, is now celebrated. Though Gauri was treated well in KBC, I was privy to some chatter on Facebook about how big hearted KBC was in giving transgenders a chance. I was like “... LGBT people are not a 'cause' or your ticket to good karma." Kindness and equality should be the order of the day not the flavour of the season.

Speaking of Facebook, I was at a special event organised by Youth Ki Awaaz and Facebook at 91 Springboard in Andheri. I met my teacher’s daughter Gurmehar Kaur who became famous as the placard-wali-didi when she appealed for peace with our neighbouring nations. Also at the event was the head of Arre, a leading digital news and opinion media company, and Bollywood ki sherni Tannishtha Chatterjee​ who has walked out of misogynistic chat shows and has been shamed for the colour of her skin. We all had faced hate for sharing our opinions or for just being who we are. The event literally and lyrically put all of us on the same platform. And that’s how it should be. We realised that homophobes were misogynists and misogynists were homophobes. The issues though different unites the same kind of voices against us. The event had all of us agreeing in unison that we have forgotten the art of conversation and rather rely on confrontation. We all said that people who believe in equality and love should speak louder so that our voices are not silenced and overpowered by the noise of online trolls.  

Online hate could have devastating effects. If only we listened more and understood the other point of view before going on a rampage with tweets and posts and memes. While registering dissent should be something that we should actively engage in, we should do it with dignity and respect. I am not against people having a view against homosexuality, I am not against people who don't have a view on homosexuality, however, I will stand against people who elevate their homophobic views to the point of homophobic hate. Time and experience with online hate would teach us who could be branded as a homophobe and be ignored or blocked, and who is the person who we could engage with.

Some trolling is also done by intellectuals who form an opinion about a person before engaging with the person. All of the written word is open for interpretation. However, if we believe in checking with the person we think we have a difference of opinion with, the world would be a better and safer space. I wish we all did that. Looking back, I realise that I have also jumped the gun before understanding the point of view.

Baat karo, hate nakko. Aiklaa kaa?

(Activist Harish Iyer shares his entertaining adventures through Mumbai’s landscape)