Queer tribal student leader at TISS alleges discrimination

Claims, was not allowed at event over ‘inappropriate’ outfit; professor says will look into it

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The students’ union president of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has alleged discrimination after they were turned away from a lecture on March 25 for wearing “inappropriate attire”.

Pratik Permey, who identifies as trans, took to Twitter to voice their discomfiture.

“I was invited to the Ambedkar Memorial Lecture as a representative of the students’ union, to welcome the guests and do some formalities. When I reached the venue, around 6 pm I showed up in my usual outfit of a blouse and a skirt,” they said.

I really felt violated and humiliated. My right and my freedom were curbed. Apart from being an indigenous tribal person, I am also queer. (The incident made me feel that) my queerness was not allowed to represent or rather I was not allowed to because of my queerness.

The event was an hour late to begin, and about five minutes before it started, a professor and a few members of the organizing com- mittee asked them to leave and come back after changing into something more appropriate. They told me, “for an event like this, you cannot wear something