By SHREYA SHUKLA
The story is all about Daniel Mendonca, a proud intersex who represents LGBTIQ in the United States and speaks at different TED X events. Intersex people are individuals born with any of several variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, or genitals that do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies. Unlike girls having XX chromosomes and boys having XY chromosomes, Daniel has XXY chromosomes i.e. she has an extra X chromosome, therefore, making her more feminine than masculine.
When Daniel was born, the doctor discovered that externally the child is completely male but from within she has the internal organs of a woman and therefore she was defined as intersex after hearing what the doctor said , her father decided to give her up. But her mother denied it and decided to let her live.
Life Journey
At first, she used to say that she is different but then she started saying that she is ‘unique’ .When she was growing up, she always felt like a woman but the price of feeling like a woman was hard. She was raped at the age of eight. At school, whenever she used to go to the washroom, her seniors used to open her pants and rape her. Her father stated that “children like you should better learn how to get raped as it is the only thing you are supposed to get all your life” .
In 4th standard, she went through menstruation and used to wonder why out of everyone else, only she was always being targeted. As time passed she started prostitution and started begging at Bombay railway station, in trains, and at platforms. Nobody used to offer her jobs because of her feminine nature. It was difficult for her because she was prostitution and begging at night and had to focus on her studies during the daytime.
2014 changed Daniel\’s whole life. While she was doing prostitution and was begging,she never thought she could represent the United Nation for LGBTIQ rights and represent India on the behalf of the whole intersex community. She went to the college of Nirmala Niketan . She fought for the construction of a separate toilet for intersex, one that suits their purpose. And it was the 1st time in the university of bombay , that a separate toilet for the LGBTIQ community was made. She was also silver medalist in her bachelor’s . And she won VIDYARTHI RATNA AWARD.
Conclusion
If you can believe in gods like ardhanareshwar, in mohini avtara of shree krishna, in the shrikhandi of mahabharata then why is it difficult to believe in humans like Daniel,who are fighting everyday for the righteousness and why cant you accept people as they are?
New beginning is all about accepting what you are. You are beautiful and a creature of nature. The only barrier that you have in your life is yourself, you just have to break the barrier within yourself. LGBTIQ are humans just like you and me and they should be treated the same way.
