Trans artist Alok Vaid gives it back like a boss to the person who clicked his picture without consent

Alok Vaid doesn't identify himself as a male or a female.

Sarwat Fatima Sarwat Fatima
मार्च 08, 2018
Alok Vaid is of Indian origin and lives in the USA. Photo Courtesy: Instagram/ AlokVMenon

Over the years, there's been a lot of debate over the social status of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community in our society. And no matter how much we read about it or are lectured about it, some of us still refuse to see them as 'normal' human beings. The reason we were chose to use the word 'normal' is because our attitude towards the so-called 'normal people' is ordinary. We don't go around pointing fingers at them or gawking at them. But, when it comes to the LGBTQ, some can't help but take a second look and criticize their choices. Not to mention, take their pictures in secret to mock them. And this is exactly what happened with non-conforming and non-binary performance artist, Alok Vaid Menon.

In case you don't know who he is, here's some info: Alok is an educator and gender-nonconforming writer of Indian origin based in Texas. Gender-nonconforming basically means someone who doesn't identify themselves as a male or a female. So, recently he was travelling in New York when something utterly disappointing happened with him. Someone thought it was okay to click his picture without his knowledge to mock him. The intention was to make fun of the way he was dressed.

 

this was a photo of me taken without my consent an hour ago. i have people take photos of me every day but i never know where they end up. one of my supportive followers sent this to me & it’s the first time i have seen one of these. (this photo has since been reposted to @subwaycreatures story also without my consent). it’s so surreal & scary to see this — it reminds me that i am constantly being watched, rendered into a spectacle for other people’s enjoyment & entertainment. people don’t ask me for consent because they read my gender non-conformity as already consenting to public consumption. the presumption here is because we have already seemingly transgressed normalcy/respectability, we do not have boundaries and are incapable of being violated. this leaves gender non-conforming people like me disproportionately targeted for physical & sexual violence. when we say “i have been violated” we are victim blamed — told that we shouldn’t have “dressed up,” that we should expect this treatment for looking as we do. i am here to tell you that no one — regardless of what they look like — should have their photo taken & shared without their consent. it is unacceptable & misogynist. after this photo was snapped a white cis person told me that she liked “my costume.” when i boarded my train i had to go to a different car because i was being harassed by white cis people who wouldn’t leave me alone. i sat next to a white cis guy who got up and left the moment i sat next to him. this is my daily reality. i want you to think about what happens to people like me inbetween the snapshots you see — how we are hunted, ridiculed, & put on exhibition for cis enjoyment. how i manage to still look so good despite being harassed & stalked & shoved & spat on & knowing that few people will defend me because i am not cis or white. it’s terrifying when your joy is constantly policed — when you are made to fear your own beauty. they could have just asked for my permission. they could have just asked. this photo will be seared in my mind forever.

A post shared by ALOK ?? (@alokvmenon) on

A supporter of Alok saw the picture doing rounds on the Internet and informed him. He later took to Instagram to share about the incident with everyone.

"I have people take photos of me every day but I never know where they end up," he wrote.

"It's so surreal & scary to see this - it reminds me that I am constantly being watched, rendered into a spectacle for other people's enjoyment & entertainment. People don't ask me for consent because they read my gender non-conformity as already consenting to public consumption," he continued.

Later, he also shared an Insta story where he mentioned the attitude of people when it comes to victim-shaming.

Unfortunately, Alok is not the only person to have gone through this humiliation. It happens every day and everywhere. So, if you come across someone who does this--kindly stop them.

 

लगातार ऑडनारी खबरों की सप्लाई के लिए फेसबुक पर लाइक करे      

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