what?

Kalki Subramaniam writes over at CNN:

When I finally came out as transgender to my parents, I was taken to a psychiatrist to help with my gender dysphoria, or the distress caused by the discrepancy between a person’s body and their gender identity. He asked me to draw how I saw myself in the future, so I drew a beautiful girl with a long skirt, hat and a big smile. He was taken aback, but he eventually helped me gain my family’s acceptance.

This is the dilemma faced by teen children with gender dysphoria. Unable to bear the bullying but terrified of disappointing their parents, they fear going to school and they fear dropping out, too. If they “out” themselves, only a few are accepted by their parents.

After completing her master’s degree in journalism, she started a magazine called Sahodari (“sister”) in support of the transgender community. She also  founded the Sahodari Foundation for transgender art and culture.

As she points out practicing art helps us “heal emotional injuries, by providing a safe opportunity for self-expression and shaping one’s identity.”

CNN has more.

Participants in the Red Wall project write their stories. Kalki sees the red painted palms signifying “a slap against abusers and a sign of resistance.” Photo: Sahodari Foundation