Meet the first gender-neutral model on the ramp in India

Mumbai: The struggle for LGBT rights in India has been going on for some time now and although there’s a lot that needs to be done, the fashion industry seems to be leading the charge for acceptance and equal opportunities beyond gender boundaries.

The news of Nepal’s first transgender model slated to make an appearance on the ramp at Mumbai’s Lakme Fashion Week came as hope for changing views towards gender. Now a Czech model named Petr Nitka, who identifies as gender neutral, will walk on the runway at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017.

(Photo: Instagram)

Nitka identifies as both male and female, and is the first gender neutral model to grace the runway in an Indian fashion show. It follows gender neutral clothing shattering stereotypes at events across the world since 2015.

Aware of being different from others since a young age, Nitka wondered about being transsexual or homosexual but didn’t want to change at all, and this led to a self-discovery about being unisexual.

(Photo: Instagram)

A decisive moment came last year with the first modelling assignment for Nitka, who saw pictures and felt different from other models, hence beginning to identify as gender neutral.

Nitka is also the first gender neutral model in the Czech Republic and has walked at the African Fashion Week in 2016. This will be Nitka’s first visit to India as the model seeks to break stereotypes and challenge pre-conceived notions.

Celebrities like Jaden Smith have been breaking gender stereotypes in society with pictures in gender neutral clothing and Miley Cyrus has also talked about being gender fluid.