Zeenat Aman Proudly Calls Herself An 'Ally' Of LGBTQIA+ Community

Veteran actress Zeenat Aman may have made a late entry to social media but her Instagram page has been grabbing all the limelight, of late. As Pride Month is being celebrated worldwide, Zeenat shared a message for “straight folk, especially those older generations”. Calling herself an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, the veteran actress addressed narrow mindedness of people. Zeenat expressed, “Happy Pride Month, dear followers. When Google India reached out to me to be a part of their ‘search for change’ campaign, my first instinct was to suggest they approach someone from the LGBTQIA+ community. As a straight person, I have not lived any of their experiences and so cannot speak for them. I do however consider myself an ally. I have befriended, known, and worked with many talented, creative, artistic, and wonderful people from this community.”

Zeenat emphasized that times are changing, and people should not be enslaved by hate or ignorance. She urged those who carry apprehensions about queerness to break free from the deadly habit. She stressed that the shame lies not in being ignorant, but in choosing ignorance when knowledge and understanding are readily available.

She added, “My message thus is not for the LGBTQIA+ community; they know their own experiences best. My message is for straight folk, especially those older generations who are struggling to accept or are outright denying, the existence of queer identities.” She stressed the importance of adopting a philosophy of ‘live and let live,’ emphasizing that personal choices in matters of love should not be a cause for offence. Zeenat questioned why anyone would take offence to the choices that do not harm them, expressing her perplexity at such narrow-mindedness.

Accompanying her inspiring words, Zeenat shared a powerful quote from Rabindranath Tagore’s poem, ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear.’ The quote highlighted the importance of choosing love over hate and reason over prejudice, resonating with Zeenat’s belief in equality and acceptance.

The legendary actress, known for her remarkable contributions to Hindi cinema, has graced the silver screen with her presence in numerous blockbuster films like The Great Gambler, Ajanabee, and Hum Kisise Kum Naheen.