Indian TV commercial showing adored transgender mother goes viral
Indian TV commercial showing adored transgender mother goes viral
Published: 05:30 pm Apr 11, 2017
MUMBAI: A television commercial that tells the real-life story of a transgender woman and her adopted daughter has sparked a conversation about transgender rights in India, where the community still faces deep biases despite gaining rights. The advertisement for Procter & Gamble's Vicks brand is narrated by Gayatri, who was adopted as a young girl after the death of her birth mother, a sex worker, by Gauri Sawant. The 3.5 minute commercial has racked up more than 9 million views on YouTube since its release two weeks ago. As Gayatri, 15, tells the story of how she came to live with 'mummy', who cooks her favorite foods and watches horror films with her, her mother is revealed to be a transgender woman. 'Mom has faced so many problems in life,' Gayatri says. 'Everyone is entitled to basic rights. Then why is my mom denied them? That's why ... I will become a lawyer. For my mom.' In a landmark judgment in 2014, India's Supreme Court ruled that transgender people had equal rights under the law and granted legal status to the third gender. READ ALSO
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