Sanchaar Media Reference Guide – English

SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India SANCHAAR Media Guide A Recommended Language Manual for Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities in India SANCHAAR PROJECT 2015 The Humsafar Trust was supported by India HIV/AIDS Alliance, through Pehchan Innovations Fund GFATM Round 9 © The Humsafar Trust : First Edition. Year 2015. Version 1.0. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">The Humsafar Trust </li><li style="flex:1">Page 1 </li></ul>SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India FOREWORD The lexicon of same-sex relations in the human is sparsely populated. And that is not only because it was not understood but because it was stigmatised by religion and mainstream heterosexual society. Even today, the term “sodomy” and “catamites” are used in many legal documents and discourses in the USA and these were derived from Biblical texts. The first stirrings of movement on a rational basis to describe same-sex relations started in Europe a little before the region plunged into what are called World War I and World War II. Both were really wars fought by European Nation States and drew in both resources and knowledge from the colonies. Thus Edward Carpenter in England, Magnus Hirschfield in Germany, Havelock Ellis is Austria, all tried their hand at “naming” this phenomenon which was ancient in that they find mention in all human societies across the globe obviously making it a cross=species sexual behaviour. However, as the Upanishads say: “Defining reality or verbalising it – the’Vakas it is called in Sanskrit, took a very long time in secular sciences. So we have words like “Uranian” (Hirschfield), Invert (Ellis)_ and finally a word invented in the crucible of clinical psychology by Karoly Maria Kerbeny, the word “Homosexual” (same-sex-attracted). Philosophers like Michel Foucault would rightly say these were definitions of convenience but that they were necessary to define because of the politics of sexuality that would soon follow. The first obstacle in this journey for a newly defined and delineated “community’ was the field of modern communications. The mass media as it first arose in Britain was full of salacious sensational “raw” stuff, as newspaper editors would call it. Detailed reporting of the Oscar Wilde trial reveal the depths of depravity which was revealed in verbose vitriolic reports that finally hounded him abroad and then to his death. Homosexuals or gays, (a noun that is said to have originated simultaneously in France (Gai) and in the USA (Gay), have rarely had it easy in the press. They are the subject even today of ridicule, risqué innuendo and accentuated aliens who disrupt and disturb mainstream society with their very existence. Humsafar Trust thought it was important that communities at the receiving end picked up the gauntlet to give a roadmap how they would like the world to see them. Hence the effort to do a crisp and curt analysis of the various media reports on sexual minorities and the resultant effort to set right the very paradigm of how society can be made more acceptable to a sexually and genderised community marginalised in a modern world. As laws against discrimination slowly and surely break down barriers to include communities hitherto not welcome into mainstream society, the sexual minorities have become the last bastion of people both persecuted and prosecuted everywhere and it is a global phenomenon. Hence by acting locally, here’s wishing we make a global impact on how the media can be brought into a symbiotic relationship beneficial to both us sexually marginalised people and the media which is our prism to the planet. Ashok Row Kavi Chairman - The Humsafar Trust <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">The Humsafar Trust </li><li style="flex:1">Page 2 </li></ul>SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART Years back when I first came in touch with the Humsafar Trust, I was a young married woman, a vocal supporter of women's rights and equality who had until then studied and worked as a researcher in social development. In course of my work, I had several opportunities to understand the role and space of every marginalised community, except that of LGBT people. As I got involved in Humsafar Trust's research work, it was shocking to learn how our society ignored, sidelined and punished another human being based on their sexuality. Thus, began my journey not just as a researcher with the Humsafar Trust, but as a human being who learnt to understand the world beyond binary, the whole spectrum of sexualities, the need to be accepted and given equal social and political space and ultimately right to be free in ones skin with dignity. I believe that I have been privileged to have witnessed the hard work, struggle of the sexual minorities and organizations such as Humsafar Trust and others who are struggling for equal rights. I sincerely thank my friends, brothers and sisters from sexual minority community for making me a comrade in their journey without any discrimination. This recommended language guide for media was in the minds of the board of the Humsafar Trust since years; and had it not been for India HIV/AIDS Alliance's support, through Pehchan Innovations Fund of GFATM Round 9, this project `Sanchaar' would not have been a reality. I convey my heartfelt thanks to Sonal Mehta, Abhina Aher and Yashwinder Singh for their inputs and encouragement and publication support. I also thank Seth Adam of GLAAD media for allowing me to adapt certain parts for their media guide. In course of `Sanchaar', many community members and media personnel participated and provided their feedback. I express my gratitude for this exchange of ideas that happened over the workshops and e-mails. In this regard I thank Suhail Abbasi, Sridhar Rangayan, Nitin Karani, Shibu Thomas, Manvendra Singh Gohil (Laskhya Trust), Sylvester Merchant (Lakshya Trust) and Owais Khan. My special thanks to BinduMadhavKhire (Samapathik Trust) for his proactive involvement and encouragement for this work; he always inspired me to do quality work! At Humsafar Trust, I thank Ashok Rowkavi, Vivek Raj Anand and Pallav Patankar for not just their sustained encouragement but most importantly keeping faith in me to deliver this project. My heartfelt thanks to Sonal Giani for her media and printing support, many thanks to my colleagues Shruta Mengle Rawat and Urmi Jadhav for their feedback on the guide, Dipti Shinde, Ankur Srivastava for efficient researcher support, Kamlesh Gade for cover design and Ramesh Jagtap for taking care of logistics and finances. Last but not the least, I thank my two children who put up with the same music for months which their mom played while working on this project! I hope that this language guide will be useful for everyone and this version will be enriched in near future. Alpana Dange-Consultant <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">The Humsafar Trust </li><li style="flex:1">Page 3 </li></ul>SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India Pehchan Pehchān is funded by the Global Fund under Round 9 and is their largest single- country grant to date focused on the HIV response for vulnerable and underserved sexual minorities. Pehchān means ‘identity’, ‘recognition’ or ‘acknowledgement’ in Hindi, and by 2015, the programme will strengthen and build the capacity of 200 community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide HIV prevention programming for 453750 men who have sex with men (MSM), Transgender and Hijras in 17 Indian states. Pehchān is implemented by regional sub recipients (The Humsafar Trust, Pehchan North Region Unit (PNRO), SAATHII, Sangama, Alliance India Andhra Pradesh and SIAAP). From October 2010, Pehchan was launched in 17 Indian states with support from National AIDS Control Society. The programme have Pehchan Objectives evolved over two years and made significant <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Facilitate </li><li style="flex:1">creation </li><li style="flex:1">and </li></ul>impact in empowering MTH community in remote areas, reaching hard to reach population and supporting State AIDS Control Societies in strengthening MTH Targeted Interventions in states. The Phase I of the programme was more focused around establishment and capacity building of the SSRs / CBOs and the Phase II will be more focusing around the service delivery, impact on MTH community and influencing health policies towards MTH. strengthening of 90 Pre TI new CBO interventions and 110 TI Plus intervention with the existing CBOs Increase the coverage of MTH individuals by geographically diverse community based organizations (CBOs) through organizational support. development Strengthen existing health systems resources and increase the involvement of MTH community systems in the process. Create enabling environment through increasing knowledge and strengthening advocacy related to the concerns of MTH people and their sexual partners (including female partners), and developing cadre of trained community advocates. There has been dearth of experience in implementing MTH programme at that scale <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">globally </li><li style="flex:1">like </li><li style="flex:1">Pehchan. </li><li style="flex:1">Henceforth, </li></ul>implementing the programme with such a huge mammoth scale and coverage was challenge in itself. However, the experience of the six consortium partners under Pehchan in implementing MTH programmes regionally have been instrumental in evolving innovative strategies, activities to implement Pehchan. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">The Humsafar Trust </li><li style="flex:1">Page 4 </li></ul>SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India Contents Section:1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 6 Section:2 Glossary of terms ................................................................................................................................... 7 Section:3 Learn about Transgender People................................................................................................. 11 Section:4 Terms to avoid while reporting.................................................................................................... 13 Section:5 Things Media Needs To Check Before Reporting: Common myths about LGBT people ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 Section:6 Issues Highlight For Media ............................................................................................................. 18 Section: 7 Popular Frames Across Newspapers and Television........................................................... 22 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">The Humsafar Trust </li><li style="flex:1">Page 5 </li></ul>SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India Section: 1 Introduction Quest for correct and representative portrayal of sexual minorities The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, also known as sexual minorities in India, are at the crossroads where public opinion spans range of supportive and opposing views on assertion of their identities and rights in the larger Indian context. The mass media, like newspapers and television, has played a key role in this discussion visibility, assertion and activism around the sexual minorities. As our research revealed, the mass media has played a twopronged role in this regard: firstly, by bringing to the forefront, issues and concerns pertaining to this community; secondly, through a discussion on the rights and application of those rights. In both ways, how sexual minorities are represented becomes extremely important. While the prevailing societal, cultural and religious values and norms influence public opinion, it is the mass media that exposes people to rest of the world and gives space to new ideas and marginal views. It is, therefore, extremely important that there should be correct, representative and balanced portrayal of sexual minorities in the mass media. However, this is not an easy goal to reach, as our research and subsequent workshops with media personnel mainly journalists and LGBT community members revealed. There is a gap, especially in the regional language media, pertaining to not just an understanding of basic terms and terminologies but also of the issues involved, how they may be applied. As we observed in our research, in either direct or indirect way, personal opinion of media personnel mars objectivity of the reporting. This has also led to introspection amongst organizations working for the sexual minorities on `have we tried to change things for better in media?’. The Sanchaar project, therefore, was visualised to fill this gap. This project was envisaged by the Humsafar Trust and its partner under The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), Round 9 –the Pehchān Innovations Fund. After an extensive desk research and media workshops and consultation, this guide has been prepared to address media’s knowledge needs. This guide seeks to support media by providing key information, educating and giving access to resources to equip themselves to represent sexual minorities in an accurate manner. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">The Humsafar Trust </li><li style="flex:1">Page 6 </li></ul>SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India Section: 2 Glossary of terms Sections 2and 4 have been drawn up (as it is, in some places) and adapted (wherever needed) from the GLAAD (formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) media reference guide1. Biphobia Biphobia is dislike and/or fear of bisexuals, often based on stereotypes, including inaccurate associations with infidelity, promiscuity and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Intolerance or prejudice is usually a more accurate description of antipathy toward bisexual people. Bisexual, Bi Bisexual is a person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of another gender. People may experience these attractions in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime. Bisexual people need not have had specific sexual experiences to be bisexual; in fact, they need not have had any sexual experience at all to identify as bisexual. Closeted Describes a person who is not open about his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. Better to simply refer to someone as not out about being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Coming Out Coming out actually is a lifelong process of self-acceptance. People forge a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender identity first to themselves and then they may reveal it to others. Publicly sharing one's identity may or may not be part of coming out. Gay The adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex (e.g., gay man, gay people). Sometimes lesbian (n. or adj.) is the preferred term for women. Avoid identifying gay people as "homosexuals", an outdated term considered derogatory and offensive to many lesbian and gay people Gender Refers to being "masculine" or "feminine", and corresponding social roles and behaviour. 1http://www.glaad.org/reference <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">The Humsafar Trust </li><li style="flex:1">Page 7 </li></ul>SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India Gender Dysphoria People whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they identify with are diagnosed with gender dysphoria2. Gender dysphoria is manifested in a variety of ways, including strong desires to be treated as the other gender or to be rid of one's sex characteristics or a strong conviction that one has feelings and reactions typical of the other gender. Heterosexual An adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction is to people of the opposite sex. Also straight. Homophobia Meaning of homophobia is dislike and/or fear of lesbians and gay men. Intolerance or prejudice is usually a more accurate description of antipathy toward LGBT people. Homosexual The dictionary meaning of homosexual is `a person who is sexually attracted to people of their own sex’ (see Terms to avoid while reporting). Intersex An intersex person is born with sexual anatomy, reproductive organs, and/or chromosome patterns that do not fit the typical definition of male or female. This may be apparent at birth or become so later in life. An intersex person may identify as male or female or as neither. Intersex status is not about sexual orientation or gender identity: intersex people experience the same range of sexual orientations and gender identities as non-intersex people3. LGBT / GLBT Acronym for "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender". LGBT and/or GLBT are often used because they are more inclusive of the diversity of the community. Care should be taken to ensure that audiences are not confused by their use. Ensure that the acronym is spelled out on first use. Lesbian A woman whose enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay (adj.) or as gay women. Avoid identifying lesbians as "homosexuals," a derogatory term (see Terms to avoid while reporting). 2http://www.dsm5.org/documents/gender%20dysphoria%20fact%20sheet.pdf 3 Definition as per The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">The Humsafar Trust </li><li style="flex:1">Page 8 </li></ul>SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India MSM Acronym for men having sex with men who engage in sexual behaviour with men without identifying themselves as `gay' or `bisexual'. This is normally used in the medico-clinical context. Out A person who self-identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender in their personal, public, and/or professional lives. For example: Ricky Martin is an out pop star from Puerto Rico. Pride March/Parade Across India and the world and India, members of sexual minorities celebrate their diversity and presence, assert their LGBT identities and remind fellow nonLGBT citizens about their rights in an annual event that is like a parade/march. It is usually marked by people in colourful outfits, make-up, masks and rainbow flags. Queer Traditionally a pejorative term, queer is used by some LGBT people to describe them. However, it is not universally accepted even within the LGBT community and should be avoided unless describing someone who self-identifies that way or in a direct quote. When “Q” is seen at the end of "LGBT”, it typically means queer and/or questioning. Rainbow Flag The rainbow flag4, commonly the gay pride flag and sometimes the LGBT pride flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender(LGBT) pride and LGBT social movements. It has been in use since the 1970s. (Other uses of rainbow flags include a symbol of peace.) The colours reflect the diversity of the LGBT community, and the flag is often used as a symbol of gay pride in LGBT rights marches. Sex Refers to being "male" or "female" as assigned at birth with reference to genitals a person is born with. Sexuality Refers to one's sexual attraction, desire or behaviour with respect to another person of the same/opposite or both sexes. Sexual Orientation The scientifically accurate term for an individual's enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to members of the same and/or opposite sex, 4en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_(LGBT_movement) <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">The Humsafar Trust </li><li style="flex:1">Page 9 </li></ul>SANCHAAR Media Guide: A Recommended Language Manual For Improved Reporting On Sexual Minorities In India including lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual (straight) orientations. Having a particular sexual orientation is like either being right-handed or left-handed. People need not have had specific sexual experiences to know their own sexual orientation; in fact, they need not have had any sexual experience at all. Sodomy Laws Under sodomy laws certain laws certain sexual acts like anal sex are considered to be criminal. Historically used to selectively persecute gay people, the state laws often referred to as "sodomy laws". Section 377 in India represents that. "Sodomy" should never be used to describe gay, lesbian or bisexual relationships or sexuality.

Sanchaar Media Reference Guide – English

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