DUTEE CHAND

National champion Dutee Chand has inspired many by raising her voice to live the life she wanted

- VEENU SINGH

When sprinter Dutee Chand came out as a lesbian in 2019, she took the entire country by a storm by being the first Indian LGBTQAI+ sportsperson to come out. Thankfully, life hasn’t changed much for her as far as her profession goes while personally, she feels happy that she and her partner can now hold hands publicly, and even travel together without fear.

By talking openly about her sexuality, Dutee has not only become an inspiration for many still closeted because of an unwelcoming society, but has also set an example that in order to change things, one has to show the courage to raise their voice and make others listen.

Tracing back to 2019, Dutee recalls that she actually had no idea about the LGBTQAI+ community, or what the word lesbian meant. “I met my partner (Monalisa) for the first time in 2017 at a village festival where we shared phone numbers. The girl kept in touch with me regularly, talking about my performances, and how much honour I was bringing to our country. Soon we became quite close — sharing our happiness, sorrows, fears, and every detail with each other. After some months, we realised that we would want to spend the rest of our lives together, and even get married. I never thought about whether it’s right or wrong to think like that. Everything felt absolutely normal to me,” India’s current women’s 100m champion, who competed at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, tells MW.