Posted On: 2023-08-18 11:26:17
Ever since ancient times, the presence of transgenders has been recorded in India. The record of transgenders can even be seen in Puranas. They gained further recognition during the medieval era when they held positions such as political advisors, administrators, generals as well as guardians of the harems.
However, their status eventually decreased during the colonial period, when hijras were included in the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. The transgender community still faces societal shame and stigma. There are a lot of recorded crimes against transgenders, and discrimination is rampant in society. Due to prevailing laws and slow processes, a lot of transgenders find it difficult to file criminal complaints, thereby creating an unsafe environment for them.
The transgender flag, designed by Monica Helms in 1999, was donated by her to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on 19th August 2014. The day has since been observed as ‘Transgender Flag Day’ all over the world, to celebrate the legacy of transgender people and raise awareness about their plight.
To celebrate transgender flag day, we would like to talk about six people from the transgender community who have made notable strides in their lives and served as an example to everyone in India.
Akkai Padmashali’s life is one of turmoil and hardship. At the age of twelve, she tried to take her own life, but she eventually didn’t. Her parents used to berate her for dressing up as a girl, they tried to take her to the doctors to get her ‘fixed’. She later joined Sangama, an LGBT rights group based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. She later founded Ondede, a human rights organization to advocate the rights of children, women and sexual minorities. She was invited to the International Bar Association in Tokyo in 2014 to speak about transgender issues. Akkai has also famously said, “Why should I die? Let me fight for my community members. I have a huge responsibility on my shoulders”.
It was during the ninth grade when K. Prithika Yashini first recorded feelings of being trapped in the wrong body. Her conservative parents weren’t exactly vocal for trans rights, leading Prithika to run away from her hometown in Salem, Tamil Nadu to Chennai, where she found solace in the city’s transgender community.’ She later applied for Tamil Nadu’s sub-inspector of police. However, the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB) rejected her application as she did not belong to any specified gender. Eventually, The High Court of Madras ruled in her favour and she cleared the test, becoming the first transgender police officer in India.
Gauri Sawant became a mainstream icon in India when she was featured in the beautiful and heartwarming ad campaign of Vicks. The advertisement showed the relationship between her and her adopted daughter, Gayatri (the biological daughter of a sex worker who died of AIDS). In 2000, Gauri founded Sakhi Char Chowghi, which helps transgender people and people affected by AIDS. Her life was immortalized in JioCinema’s series called Taali, where her role was played by Sushmita Sen.
Manabi Bandyopadhyay earned the title of ‘doctor’ when she completed her PhD in 2006, becoming the first transgender person to complete a PhD in West Bengal. She later went on to become a professor of Bengali Literature at Vivekananda Centenary College and even penned a novel titled Endless Bondage. She made headlines in 2015 when she became the principal of Krishnagar Women's College.
Rose Venkatesan became aware of her identity crisis when she was five years old. Her family was unsupportive of her, and used violent methods to ‘set her straight’, she was later thrown out of her house. Undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2010, Rose Venkatesan works in many fields like television and radio.
Zoya always had a passion for photography. However, she was forced to drop out at an early age, making it difficult to pursue her goals. However, a chance stumbling at a used camera shop rekindled her fire for photography. She became a part of the industry after being a part of Hijada Shap Ki Vardan Part 2, at which’s success party she met the editor of a publication. Today, Zoya Lobo is India’s first transgender photojournalist.
Filaantro has worked to uplift the transgender community in the past. We have conducted a ration kit distribution, along with our partner, Child Help Foundation. The distribution drive also shed light on their plight.
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AUTHOR: ADIL SAYYAD
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