Transgender is a term used for the persons who
feel and express in a way that does not match with the sex they are assigned
with at birth. They feel a sense of identification with the traits of an
opposite gender.
The transgender community has been facing
stigma by the society since ages. People did not want to recognize them as a
part of their society and parents of transgender children often fail to
understand them. They were forced to behave according to the societal norms and
their feelings were suppressed within themselves. The transgender persons who
built up courage and spoke out are often kicked out of the society. There were
very few people who accepted them as they were and gave them the freedom to express
themselves. Things have changed for the better now with new laws making way for
their freedom of expression but unfortunately, it is not that easy to change
the mindset of the people.
In India, the persons of transgender community
have made their mark in the recent years. From Prithika Yashini, who became the
first transgender police officer in India, to Anjali Lama, who became the first
runway model in the country, they have proven that they can achieve anything if
they are given the opportunity. In India, persons of a particular sub category
of transgender community known as “Hijra” are respected by many as they believe
that Hijras have the power to bless anyone but the same people would not
support them to achieve their dreams and treat them as outcastes. Gauri Sawant,
a transgender turned Hijra from Maharashtra, was treated as an outcaste and
wasn’t even accepted by her father. She made her way through from her city, Pune
to Mumbai on her own and was fortunate enough to not have to beg for her life.
With the help of Humsafar Trust she was given the opportunity to earn for
herself. She got involved in spreading awareness about STDs and encourages sex
workers to get tested. She did not stop there. She even took care of a child
whose mother passed away due to HIV/AIDS. Gauri saved this girl’s life from
being snatched away for sex work. She became the mother of the orphaned girl
and took care of her every need. This story was even featured in an ad by Vicks
which brought the limelight to this subject of a transgender women being
capable of becoming a mother. Another such story is the story of Noori Saleem
from Periyar Nagar, Perambur, Chennai, who is an HIV+. She is a transgender who
have seen struggle in her life but decided to adopt orphaned children. She is
the mother of 58 orphaned children. Some of her children have been employed,
some are still studying and some have gotten married who visit her with their
children.
We can say that the transgender community is
capable of things that many of us are not ready to accept yet. Although we have
seen many from the community who rose to achieve great things, a lot of changes
are yet to be done in our education system and societal norms to match the
present situation. Instances of brutality towards the transgender community are
still taking place and this will not change until and unless everyone is
educated about the transgender community and their rights. We must accept them as they are instead of
forcing them to suppress themselves and then see to ourselves how much of
positivity they can create in our society.
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