Transgender Definitions in the Indian context

There are quite a few variations among transgendered people in India. I prefer the term transsexual, but transgender is just the preferred classification many go with here. I've tried to give the explanation to a few terms that people come across frequently among transsexuals in India. You may also use this list to identify which category you belong to.

Transgender - is a term that encompasses a wide range of people that includes Hijras, Aravanis, Transsexuals, etc. It's important to realize that this is a psychosocial definition and only relates to the perceived identity of the person in question.

CD (Crossdresser) - Guys in women's clothes and make up.

Drag Queens - CD's and transvestites who perform publicly or dress up to get admired for compensation.

Hijra - People of transgender cults. They have a rigid social structure. Young boys who have mixed feelings run away from home and are taken into the fold of these communities. Their initiation ceremonies consist of cutting off their genitals in a gruesome manner with blunt instruments and making survivors beg and blow others for money. Closed societies and obnoxious people.

Aravani - South Indian Version of Hijra.

MTF transsexual - Male to female transsexual. These are clear headed people who want to become female and take medications and treatments in order to do so.

MTF pre op - Men who are taking hormone and laser treatments to turn into women. They usually don't look very striking till they alter their facial features and undergo certain surgeries.

MTF post op - Men who have turned into women by undergoing GRS. Genital reassignment surgery.

Being a transgendered person in India.

India is a huge and complex country that represents about a seventh of the world's population. So, statistically speaking, India has a much higher concentration of transgendered populations than anywhere else in the world. It also helps to note that India is a very diverse country with strong diversities and not very common histories. It is a land where a hundreds of languages, dialects, religions and cultures melt into one common national identity. Historically, transgenders have had a strong presence in the country since ancient times. They have also been recognized in society as a distinct presence and even rose to the levels of nobility in ancient times.

But being a transgendered person in today's India is by no means a cakewalk. It means having to suffer ignominy, getting thrown out by family, lack of job opportunities, social boycotts and at times even public violence in many forms. All this stems from a deep lack of awareness about what being transgendered is all about. Rather than viewing it as what it is, people in India tend to look at Transsexuality as a form of sexual deviance. Most look at it from an MTF (male to female) perspective. Still a fiercely patriarchal society, people here cannot (in their terms) understand why a person would want to give up his status and 'power' as a male to 'act' like a female and (according to their beliefs) chop off their manhood.

So here we find the core reason behind why transgenders are so reviled across the country. It is due to a public that is hugely unaware of the technicalities of being transgendered. They don't even know what being a transgender is all about. These misconceptions are fueled by the media and rumor that create a negative frenzy by portraying transgendered people as something they're mostly not. The image so commonly played out in public is of a guy who cannot fulfil society's requirements as a guy and instead chooses to hide himself behind a girls feelings and emotions. It is played out as a sexual perversity and that should not be encouraged at any cost.

The common image that the Hijras create doesn't help in any way either. Most people's interaction with anyone even vaguely transgendered is with Hijra's on the street, Hijras or Aravanis as they're called in the south are people who have joined structured communities that take in transgendered people. These communities are based on alms and sex work. It's members are usually seen loitering around in groups trying to extract money from innocent bystanders and small businesses by threatening to embarrass them by exposing their often 'mutilated' bodies. Yes, all of the Hijra are relieved of their private parts in a gruesome initiation ceremony. Apart from the sheer horror of it, people don't even realize that you don't have to be castrated in order to become a transgender.

With the growth of the internet, we'd expect a lot of myths to be debunked in the context of the Indian transgender, but no. It's very common to find highly educated people who don't know anything about transgendered people. They start laughing when you try to explain the technicalities to them. With this blog, I expect to dispel the many Indian myths about the transgendered people. In this blog you will also find information that is helpful in myriad ways to transsexual people across India. Ever felt you're transgendered, but had no source of information on the whole? You can expect to find everything from Definitions, Legal resources, Transsexual hangouts, Counseling centers, Medical resources and much more with this blog. I am proud to launch this blog with the hope that the transgendered community in India evolves from the shadows into the limelight by educating themselves with the best of resources gleaned from my years of research into transsexuality in India.