Have you ever read a headline titled “The First…,” followed by gender, sexuality, race, or any other piece of identity that sets a person apart from “the rest of society”? If yes, and if you are anything like me, you might have wondered whether that particular detail holds any relevance to the rest of the title. Maybe it plays a part in gaining sympathy in the case of a mishap or praise in the case of an achievement. But had that detail not been included, would it have altered the feelings of the reader? Would it have made a difference if the headline had not pointed out ‘the difference’?
In our world, we have gotten extremely used to seeing everything from the perspective of the “cis, white, straight, completely-abled man,” because any other perspective is labeled as DIFFERENT! It thus becomes uncommon or even abnormal. The many forms of media we consume every day that show a great deal of awe towards a marginalized group’s achievement have made us forget that the achievement also belongs to the individual and not just who they represent. The celebration of the “first one” has further discredited the work of many with similar abilities in the field because they just weren’t “as remarkable.”
However, does that mean that the community an individual belongs to shouldn’t be celebrated? No, it merely means that their identity shouldn’t be treated as a ‘rarity’, a ‘hurdle’, or ‘despite…’. Their social identity should just be a background or a representation of their origins. To acknowledge that a person’s efforts and merit precede their race, religion, sexuality, or social nature does not mean that their culture does not play an important role in their achievements. It just means that their individuality is protected in its own right and is not something to be surprised at.
Celebrating communities, Black History curricula, Pride celebrations, and disability awareness campaigns are things that gather popular opposition. Many people confuse them with being against the idea of normalizing differences. However, that is not true! Human society has not yet reached the stage at which we can safely say that we do not discriminate. We still find ourselves in situations where the progress of a hundred centuries feels lost. There are still situations where the rights of an individual are threatened, their life is endangered, and their community is degraded just because they do not conform to the ever-suffocating idea of normalcy. In each of these situations, we see the rise of leaders, members of society, just like you and me, who ask the much-needed “why?”. Such people are helping in the evolution of a progressive society by eradicating the many discriminatory evils from amongst us.
It is essential to salute the sacrifices of those who have abandoned all aspects of their own lives so that people who share their identity are not considered taboo. With hopes that one day more sacrifices of their nature will not be required, these people have stood apart to champion the cause of their comrades.
The day we do not raise an eyebrow at the next prime minister being queer or our next-door neighbor being differently abled is the day we will truly understand that differences are too minute a detail to condense one’s whole personality into.
Writer : Kriti Gupta
Grade : 12 (Year 2024)
Place : Ambala, India
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