The fragile existence of the transgender community, Hijras or Kinnars, stigmatized as the “other” sex, scrambling, for the longest time for an identity as a recognized member of community, is undergoing a slow transformation at last if events like participation of transgender social activist Laxmi in the Bigg Boss is any indication. Vatsal Varma reports
Most of us, at some point or the other, have encountered eunuchs, or Hijras or Kinnars as they are called, in trains, crowded streets or subways clapping loudly, singing, dancing and taking baksheesh in exchange for blessings. Unfortunately, that is only how far our knowledge goes about them. What is even more deplorable is that we refuse to see beyond those ridiculed faces and notice that there is more to them than this stereotyped image.
Despite the fact that the transgender community in India consists more than one million people, including both those who are biologically of neutral sexes as well as those born as either of the ‘recognized sexes’ but with intense opposite souls (called transvestites, majority of whom are males who identify themselves with women), it still scrambles to fend for an identity of its own as a recognized member of the society.
They not only struggle to find acceptance by common people but are also subject to prejudice, disgust, and derogatory remarks more than any other marginalized group of the society.
Devika Rani, a transgender, a cross dresser to be more specific, says, “Being a cross dresser in India is no less than a nightmare. If you come out of the closet, you need to fight against the whole world and even then you don’t get what is due to you.”
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