For long, people from the LGBT community are facing social stigmas not only in India but all over the world. While some countries like Japan, Nepal, Taiwan, Israel are more open to the community, a major part of the world still look down at the members of such community.

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Although India is progressing gradually and changing its mindset, we still need more open-mindedness and acceptance for transgenders. Transgenders are only looked upon in India as people who give ‘blessings’ in return for some money. Well, why not? Who pays them and provides them with a job so they could earn a living? No one or very few of them.

Among few, one of them being the Third Eye Cafe in Navi Mumbai. The cafe located at Palm Beach Galleria has taken a step forward by recruiting 6 transgenders in their staff, one of them being the manager.

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Sana Khanna, one of the employees of the cafe used to give ‘badhayi’ (blessings) at functions, after being rejected several times at job interviews. She says,  “Although we say Indian society is changing, that’s not really the case. We are still looked at differently by people.”

Credit for such change goes to the owner of the restaurant, Nimesh Shetty, who wants people to change their perception towards the members of the LGBT community and see them as normal citizens of the country.

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He says, “I am not trying to sell the café to the transgender staff. I want to do it based on food and ambience. This is just a platform for this community to get better jobs.”

Gauri Sawant, a transgender activist says “people are usually scared and have fixed notion about the transgender community, which is why it is necessary to change the perception.”

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We appreciate the noble step taken by the cafe, for the development of the country and for bringing a change of thought in the society in the hope that others will also get inspired by the same.

We strongly recommend the restaurant, not just because of the social initiative was taken by them, but also because of its great ambience and lip-smacking food.

Published by Shruti Kumari on 14 Feb 2018