Life of a Transgender In South Asia

Introduction

“I am the third sex, not a man trying to be a woman. It is your society’s problem that you only recognize two sexes”.

“THIRD GENDER” OR “THIRD SEX” is not a very familiar one or its better to say the world generates fear-psychosis. The terminology describes individuals who are recognized to be neither man nor woman. The more common phrase about “THIRD SEX” has been used in India is “HIJRA” (Hermaphrodite).

---

History and Background

If we were to dig really deep into the very past of Indian mythology a very common term would emerge, that is "Ardhanarishvara".

Definition of Ardhanarishvara, noun
Sanskrit: अर्धनारीश्वर, Ardhanārīśwara: dual male and female personality in one corpse, a composite androgynous form of the Hindu God Shiva and his consort Parvati

Ancient Hinduism identified third sex and also divided it into two categories:

1. The male eunuch called the “Waterless” because they had shrunken their testes; because of these castrated; they called hermaphrodite (not woman), or female eunuch (refers to a woman who does not menstruate).
2. In second category belong to those, who were more feminine (whether males or females) wore false breasts and imitated the voice, gestures, dress, delicacy and timidity of women. All of these categories of persons had the function of providing alternative techniques of sexual satisfaction, classical Hindu sex manual; the Kama sutra detailed this information very carefully.

---

Nevertheless, homosexuality was criticized since the ancient times but was also tolerated in reality. During the Mughal era, Hijras guarded harems and often occupied important positions of trust and responsibilities in the community. As a result, they would own considerable properties and financial assets. They were considered safe persons to guard harems of Kings due to their nature of sexual inclination.

While in North India Hijras had a cultural role, in South India things were contradictory. The very term Hijra was labelled that indicated meaning of a cowardly or feminine male.

---

Are There Only Two Sexes?

The chromosomes for males are XY and those for a female are XX but there are hermaphrodite chromosomal combinations such as XYY or XXY. Accordingly there are at least 5 sexes, but because of preconceived notions we force them into two categories, male and female.

The term Hijra (Hermaphrodite) according to biology has been categorized into four categories-

1. Unilateral Hermaphroditism - She/he possesses an ovotestis on one side together with an ovary or testis on the other side.
2. Lateral Hermaphroditism - She/he poses an ovary on one side and a testis on the other side.
3. Bilateral Hermaphroditism - She/he has an ovary and testes on each side.
4. Ovatesticular Hermaphroditism - She / he possesses an ovotestis on one or both side.

---

Hijra and Indian Society

The racism against Hijaras proliferated mainly on two counts. The first and the very obvious one is that they are observed by the mainstreamed society as an unusual or a freak in personality. The term 'Hijra' is often used as a slang to abuse a person is womanly, ineffective or effeminate. The second reason is that they are most reviled and detested because they may in fact, choose to emphasize their differences and also they may try to extort money from people by using abusive languages or resorting to indecent behavior, which may sometimes include revealing their mutilated genitals. Peculiarities in their behavior can be psychologically explained through a long and strenuous effort of analytical study. What is remarkable about the Hijras’ is that their role is deeply rooted in Indian Culture and its socio-economic structure.

It is noteworthy that, becoming a hijira is the involvement of a process of gradual socialization and gradual assumption of non-male gender identify. The culmination of this process is a religious ritual that includes crude form of genital reassignment surgery where both the penis and testes are removed.

The Guru - Chela (disciple) relationship in Hijra community provides not only an economic connection to the community but a social one as well. Chelas of the same Guru's are like sisters and the kinship relations of the guru become relations of the chela (disciple). In this way, Guru's Guru becomes a Granny and relations so forth.

The more serious allegation against the Hijras that is leveled against Hijra community is that normal male children are kidnapped by Hijras and forcefully castrated. It is a common sight in India that children are kidnapped and disabled by adults, so they can be used to beg. It is though argued by some people that Hijras too kidnap minors and turn them in to Hijras forcibly. However, such allegations only seem pure sense of imagination as Hijras are never seen with children.

---

Prostitution

One of the most striking things is that some hijras widely engage in prostitution; indeed, it may be their most important source of their income. In spite of this, however, it is also considered condemned within the community. Apart from the generally low standing of prostitution in India, as a sexual activity it goes against the wishes of the hijra Mother Goddess, who is herself celibate. It also contradictory to the cultural ideal of the hijra as a “sannyasi” (saint)and a religious mendicant. Thus, hijras are reluctant to admit that they engage in prostitution, and most are defensive about it, at least initially. Hijra prostitutes are generally attached to houses of prostitution that are for hijras only. Sometimes these houses, or flats, are located in red-light districts of a city, while non-hijra prostitutes are located in separate areas throughout the city. In some cases, it appears that although some of their customers, such as those they may pick up at night walking the streets, mistake them for women, the customers that come to their houses know that they are hijras and prefer them over female prostitutes for a variety of reasons.

---

Future

Since 20th century some Hijra activists and NGOs have pitched for official recognition of a Hijra as a third sex gender. They have been victorious and gained this recognition in countries like India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh, with India including an option for them on passports and other vital documents.

Although, the Hijra community is considered a deviant world, one without provincial notions of respectability, they are not outside of Indian society. Being a Hijra means making a commitment to condemned identity in some respects, it is a commitment that none the less gives you any kind of economic security and social support as well as a cultural meaning to their lives, linking them to a larger world rather than isolating from it. And their truly lies a future for them if we start looking towards them as our fellow citizens and accept them as one.

Sources

1. Zia Jaffrey, ‘The Invisibles” A tale of the eunuchs of India’, (London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1997). [http://www.a3ali.com/the-invisibles-a-tale-of-the-eunuchs-of-india.pdfhttp://www.a3ali.com/the-invisibles-a-tale-of-the-eunuchs-of-india.pdf]
2. Serena Nanda, ‘Neither Man nor Woman’ (Wordsworth Publishing Company, California, 1990) https://petervas.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/serena_nanda.pdf
3. Rajesh Talwar, ‘The Third Sex and Human Rights; (Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi, 1999)
4. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia)
5. “Who Are They?”: The Third Sex in India, Lopamudra Ganguly, Department of Geography, University of Calcutta https://www.ijser.org/researchpaper/Who-Are-They-The-Third-Sex-in-India.pdf
6. Moni Nag; ‘Sex workers of India: Diversity in Practice of Prostitution and Ways of Life, (Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2006)
7. Thumb image source