Sing out loud and proud

A moment from the track’s video, Tore bina

Identity and representation are perhaps as closely intermeshed as day and night. Being aware of one's self may not be entirely adequate to realise an individual's possibilities. As a gaping hole in representation can make anyone feel unseen, the need to see more of one's kind - in reality and public media - becomes fundamental. Tore bina, a Hindi song video by city-based charity Tweet Foundation, brings home the ‘basic' idea of making transgender identities discernible through queer voices. Ahead of International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, the new track assures comfort and kinship.

Abhina Aher

How often do we think of the aspirational conflicts of a queer child? Abhina Aher, chief functionary at Tweet Foundation, says the onus isn't on members of the LGBTQiA+ community alone: "A child is not born into the community. Social and institutional structures push them into it. Where does a child go when a family refuses to raise it? As a consequence, if they resort to begging, they're called a civic nuisance. Transgender kids are capable of owning their dreams, but it all starts with an environment for growth." She adds that while pointing out such societal fallacies, Tore bina upholds the dynamism of chosen families. "When I was approached by Neeraj Churi [producer of the music video], we chatted about how hijras are portrayed. Many think of them as officious and fussy beings, but they rarely see their creative, loving and conscious sides. During the pandemic, hijras have supported so many lives through their earnings. Tore bina reveals an emotional story where hijras raise an unwanted trans child and help her become a human rights lawyer. Similar stories are prevalent realities, too," Aher shares.

Writer-composer Arunansh Bhatt tells us the concept dawned on him in a dream and he is thrilled to have it published as an audio-visual text now. Sung by Shalmali Kolgade, the production hoists British Muslim trans activist Asifa Lahore, trans actor Navya Singh and actors Malini Poojary and Vicky Shinde, who represent Hijra identities. All proceeds from the piece will go into the upliftment of LGBTQiA+ youth through the foundation.

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