As Youtubers Vs TikTokers, pillaged the most vulnerable people in India

The most important and worst thing is that it is India’s most popular video which broke a lot of records. When many of us reported the video, raised our voices, and wrote articles condemning it, the video was finally taken down. But people had already downloaded it in their devices and they started resharing it, saying “you can not silence Carryminati”. In reality, it is the queer voices that are being silenced. If I were a closeted individual at the moment, I would have thought twice before coming out after witnessing the huge support for a video that is homophobic and transphobic.

If I can say a Spiderman movie dialogue; “With great power comes great responsibilities”. You call yourself a social influencer but what you do is social injustice. It’s unfortunate that the majority is supporting it. However, the majority is never a marker for right or wrong. Cause the majority has been wrong so many times. If Carryminati can hear my voice, I would simply like to say: being an upper-middle-class cis-het man you have gotten every privilege that’s possible in India. You will never be in danger for being who you are. So if you think that you are a victim, you should rethink your understanding of what it means to be a victim. A cis-het man from an upper-middle-class society, living in a metropolitan city – it is the highest position for an oppressor. Who can oppress you? Since you do not create any political content, even the government does not have any grudges against you. You are the most privileged and most protected. This lockdown period can be utilized for introspection by the people who have the privilege to afford it. Thus, you should rethink the whole situation a bit humbly and learn to unlearn things.

DOEL RAKSHIT – ACTIVIST, PERFORMER AND A WRITER

Influenceability is a super power. You may choose how you want to use it. With this superpower you may empower or oppress the maginalized. But remember whatever you choose to do with it, won’t be forgotten in queer history , we are documenting your legacy. Here I qoute aamir aziz “Sab yaad rakha jayega- jab kabhi bhi zikr ayega, jahaan mein daur-e-buzdili ka, tumhara kaam yaad rakha jayega, sab yaad rakha jayega’.

Neysara (Gender ACTIVIST)

“The video was plainly hurtful for the LGTQIA+ Community as a whole. The way he addresses queer identities as derogatory terms is horrendous. What’s worse is to know the fact that it was India’s most liked video in the first 24 hours with over the 70 million views when it was taken down. He has the audience of young students and kids like my nephew who is mere 13 years old but looks up to Carryminati as an idol. It is nothing but misuse of power when a public figure and impactful personality like Carryminati uses his voice to demean the already marginalized queer community. The consequences of more vicious as he encourages people to normalize the use of homophobic and transphobic abusive slurs. Even when the video was finally taken down, he completely victimizes himself and goes off the topic by saying he does not know why the video was taken off. It would have been much better if YouTube could inform the content creators about the reason their video is taken down so that they can know for sure where they made the mistake.”

Sayra khanwelkar (TRANS ACTIVIST AND AN MBBS STUDENT FROM MAHARASHTRA)

In the modern time such, It is truly saddening to see young YouTubers with mass subscribers create videos of roasting someones by calling him with transphobic and homophobic names. It insinuates the attitude of toxic masculinity and how a man should be. He is completely ignorant of the indignity one feels for being referred to as ‘meetha’, ‘chakka’, or ‘not man enough’. These words drive the vulnerable LGBTQIA+ kids towards self-loathing and self-harm. He needs to realize that after all, it is us, heterosexual cisgender people who give birth to individuals who identify as Gay or Trans, it is not their fault to be the way they are. Rather we should create an environment where they can also feel accepted and safe. When you are a YouTuber with that much number of followers or zero followers does not matter, you should not partake in bullying of those who have been suffering long enough to feel validated. It is not about Amir Siddiqui, we don’t even know if he is gay or not, but it is about how Carryminati associates Amir with homosexuality as if it is something to be ashamed of.

REENA RAI – FOUNDER OF MISS TRANS QUEEN INDIA

“I did not know about Carryminati until I saw people talk about his queerphobic content. His entire fanbase is dudes and bros who contribute nothing significant to society rather than embracing their toxic masculinity. So I understand the influence and I also understand the ignorance. I don’t expect better from a man with a generic beard, swearing after every other word, thinking that makes for good content and comedy. Using trans femmes as insults and comic relief is as pathetic as making a fart joke. But I’m pretty sure he makes those too. I would tell him that he has an annoying voice and that he isn’t funny. Maybe find something he’s actually good at so he doesn’t have to sink as low as he does, every time he makes a homophobic/transphobic joke. Or start small like reading a book.”

Randy SCARHOL – ARTIST

As a transwoman and an active part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I felt ashamed to see how Carryminati used absurd and disgusting words to roast a TikTok user. I have always believed that social media is a platform that can change the views of the mass public and seeing big influencers like Carryminati degrading the Gay and Trans community by spreading hate among his large audience makes all the efforts go in vain made by Queer community in so many years. It’s more disappointing to see that now its Carryminati who is playing the victim with an immense load of support. Rather than reflecting back upon his mistakes and learning where did he go wrong, he is acting like he has been attacked for no reason and his followers are vigorously demanding his video to be re-uploaded on YouTube. Even though his aim was to roast TikTok, using words like ‘Chakka’, ‘Meetha’ as something to shame the other person does not sound acceptable. At last, I would like to add that maybe it’s not Carryminati to blame entirely. We all are human and we all make mistakes, but what’s unfortunate is that he is not admitting his mistake and his supporters are reverting back real hard by going more toxic toward the Queer community”

BRUNA – TATTOO ARTIST AND A TRANS ACTIVIST

The only demand we have made, which I also stated in my video was that this Carryminati’s video highly affects the Queer community in a despicable manner and we want him to apologize for hurting our sentiments. Assuring that he will not use any of those words which dehumanize the Queer individual and their existence. Since the time video has been taken down, his supporters have grown more repulsive and inhumane towards the LGBTQIA+ people. To an extent that they did not even step back from making fiendish comments on the case of Anjana Harish who is said to commit suicide due to homophobia and enforced conversion therapy by her family. I understand that it must have taken a lot of efforts and dedication for Carryminati to create that video, he did share the justification video after the previous video was tane down, but his justification did not entail what we are asking for. The audience not just often or usually, but ALWAYS refer TikTok users as chhakka, Hijra, Gay etc. When he requests people to not make assumptions and take the video in the right context, what is any person is to make out of his comments such as ‘Swaad Khatta ho ya Meetha’ or ‘Mithai ki Dukaan’? how about he enlighten us on what was your motive behind using those references? For a prime example; Just like you should not use the N-word to describe a Black person for the unforgettable history it has behind in past, same goes with the words that LGBTQIA+ people have been mentally harassed, humiliated, looked down and bullied with. These terminologies tremendously impact the mental health of Queer people which steers them to self harm. Carryinati is well educated, aware, smart enough to know why his video was taken down, it could be either because we all have reported it or becasue YouTubes took it down under bulllying and harrassment. However, this whole conversation would not even had started if the sentiments of the queer community would not have been hurt, and he would have showed some sign of regret for offending people even by mistake.

RISHI RAJ – QUEER AND DALIT ACTIVIST

The LGBTQIA+ community has always existed, they have survived through and still are surviving. But there is more to this to do by portraying the queer community in a positive way. it is an opportunity for us to channelize our energy in a positive direction, and wipe off phobia against the queer community. It is not restricted to others who have taken so many efforts on this whole thing. But for me personally, rather than investing energy on something that a person did which has affected our community as a whole, feeling that we are doing anything about that but I know that people have taken an action and there was an outrage reaction which finally led to the removal of the video, but it is not the end, the end is only when there is a change in the mass. People need to change their mindset, thoughts, and treat each one of us as a human being and nothing else.

NISHTHA NISHANT – TRANS ACTIVIST