LGBTQ Community: Issues and Challenges by Deena Gurung and Savita Mishra

LGBTQ is an acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. The initialism LGBTQ is intended to emphasize a diversity of sexuality and gender identity- based cultures and is sometimes used to refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Whether or not LGBT people openly identify themselves may depend whether they live in a discriminatory environment, as well as the status of LGBT rights where one lives. This book discusses about the people from the Third Gender category which are more likely to experience intolerance, discrimination, harassment and the threat of violence due to their sexual orientation, than those that identify themselves as heterosexual. This is due to homophobia (the fear or hatred against homosexuality). Some of the factors that may reinforce homophobia on a larger scale are moral, religious and political beliefs of the dominant group.

Ms. Deena Gurung is currently working as an Assistant Professor at Pragati College of Education, Siliguri, West Bengal. She was previously working as a school teacher and then after qualifying UGC NTA NET and WB SET she has been appointed as a permanent faculty at Pragati College of Education. She has been a part of the internship programmes at National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai &Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling; wherein she has published an article titled “In-situ study of the Behavior of Jungle Cat, Asian Palm Civet and Leopard Card”. She has recently published an article in a peer review journal titled “Issues and Challenges faced by the LGBTQ Community of Darjeeling district- West Bengal.”

Dr. Savita Mishra is a Principal, Vidyasagar College of Education, Phansidewa, Darjeeling, West Bengal. She has impeccable records of nineteen years of teaching and research activities.  She is continuously engaged in organizing National and International level conferences, webinars and workshops for dissemination of knowledge and expertise to the stakeholders of education. She has written more than 150 research articles in reputed National and International journals and authored & edited 83 books. She has also developed a psychological tool for assessing Attitude towards Science. She is the Vice-President of Council of Teacher Education (Eastern Zone); Scientist, IAEC; Member of Board of Studies, National resource person & master trainer of MGNCRE, Ministry of Education, Government of India, members of advisory and editorial board of national and international journals, Founder and Secretary of Ranidanga Yashoda Educational Society and Visiting Professor of some of the Universities including Academic Staff Colleges. She has awarded Best Teacher Award 2010 from Sikkim central University, Best Principal award 2020, Best Academician Award 2020, Celebrity writer award 2020, Excellent Achiever award 2020, Women Researcher Award 2021 and Outstanding Scientist Award 2021. She has been conferred the title of ‘Leading Educationists of the World’ by IBC, Cambridge, London.