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Malayalam actor Sabumon Abdusamad, who had acted in the film Jallikattu which was India's official entry for Oscars in 2021, is now accused of hosting a transphobic discussion on Clubhouse.
The actor, who is also Malayalam Big Boss (Season 1) winner, allegedly created a group in Clubhouse at around 9.30 pm on Friday, 9 July titled ‘Are transwomen really women?’
The room had around 300 listeners including 15 trans-persons and several women.
Outraged by Abdusamad's 'transphobic' comments, a section of transgender community in Kerala may soon file a legal complaint against him.
Transgender activist Sheetal Shyam, who is also a board member of the Kerala's transgender justice committee, was also a part of the group.
A resident of Kochi, Sheetal has been actively advocating for rights of transgender persons.
Later, she says, a man in the group began using the term trans-dysphoria. And actor Sabumon, who was the moderator of the group encouraged him to speak.
Shyam says, trans-women even asked Abdusamad to change the group title, as it was “insensitive” to trans-persons who identify themselves as women.
“But Sabumon and others continued to denigrate us. When we opposed he asked us to leave the group. In fact, he said, he will do whatever he wants as he has created the group.”
To provoke the trans-community, Abdusamad created another group at around 11 pm the same night, titled ‘Shikandi ennu villikunnadhu kuttam ano?’ (Is it wrong to call transpersons Shikandi?)” which had over 1,000 listeners, Shyam alleged.
“Drawn to the title, many people were instantly joining it,” Shyam said.
Shikandi is a term which indicates that trans-persons are neither male not female. “Speaking in the group, many people also began discussing if trans-persons can be called ‘bhinnalingam’ (other gender) or ‘moonamlingam' (third gender)," Shyam said.
"At a time when we are constantly striving for equality in the society, people like him doing such activities is highly demoralising. We are strongly opposed to it as it is transphobic.”
Shyam said that a section of men have been promoting rape culture and toxic masculinity on Clubhouse. "They speak ill of women, transgender persons, queers and feminism," she said.
Sheetal says that she and other transgender activists have been joining such groups to argue and prove the hosts wrong. Abdusamad's group was one such.
Now, Sheetal and other transpersons, who were witness to 9 July incidents, are in the process of filing a legal complaint against the actor.
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Published: 11 Jul 2021,09:43 AM IST