A very Happy International Pride Month to all those reading this. June is widely celebrated as Pride Month as a means to among other, increase the visibility of people belonging to the LGBT+ community and create awareness and attempt to remove the stigma surrounding sexuality. I write this as a humble attempt to create some form of awareness regarding a concept many misunderstand- Transgenderism. While the term LGBT tends to be inclusive of Transgender people, what we often ignore that transgender itself is an umbrella term
encompassing of multiple beautiful, equally valid forms of sexual orientations.
We, as a generation have grown up with multiple examples of successful trans people and yet the welfare of trans people remains ignored and they remain marginalized and reduced to yet another slur.
Who exactly is a Transgender person?
Generally, humans can be divided into two sections- cisgender and transgender. Cisgender means that the person is completely comfortable with the sex assigned at birth and that the individual’s personal idea of gender matches correctly with the gender assigned to them at birth i.e., the human is correctly gendered. A Transgender person is one who has an idea of their gender which differs from the one assigned to them at birth. As Transgender is an umbrella term, it can widely be divided into binary and non-binary. (Not all Non Binary people identify as trans necessarily)
A Binary Trans person is one who identifies with the female or male gender identity but was not born as that gender. A Non Binary Person is one who does not identify or relate to any specific gender. A number of Trans People who experience body dysphoria (addressed further) choose to opt for surgery to change their gender or undergo certain changes to “complete” their
transition. That is, they reassign their gender from male to female or female to male. Some choose not to. Some cannot due to economic reasons, social pressure etc. All of these however are equally valid forms of trans identity. Being Trans is something extremely personal and no one gets to dictate the terms because there are no terms. Please note that a person’s gender and their identification with said gender is subjective and it changes from person to person. There is no “correct” way to be transgender just as there is no correct way to be male or female.
To understand this, we must notice that gender and sex are not the same. Gender is a fluid concept and as such, is a spectrum. Gender refers to social roles based on one’s own personal understanding of gender. That is to say, Gender is an extremely personal concept (differing from person to person) and an important part of a person’s self and as such, should be treated as such with dignity and respect. What a person chooses to live as is their personal choice. A Person’s choice or existence isn’t up for debate.
What issues does the Trans community face?
The Trans community has been marginalised to a great extent. I’d like to divide this section into two parts:
Issues faced by Trans People
Considering the fact that Trans people have been marginalized by modern society, most social institutions are not yet completely inclusive of Trans people. They face discrimination while seeking employment and in finding safe workplaces as well. This results to lesser employment opportunities. Difficulties in finding a job lead to transgender usually living in substandard conditions and in crime ridden neighborhoods. This also leads to an increased usage of substance use and they are forced to depend on sources like sex work for income.
Trans people aren’t safe from sexual assault or harassment either. They are at
higher risk of experiencing aggression or violence. This sexual or verbal abuse may
come from any person or acquaintance and creates a psychologically unsafe
environment for trans people.
Transgender people also face great amounts of discrimination in healthcare as well. They depend upon the healthcare industry for hormone therapy and sex
re-assignment surgeries. However, these are extremely costly and few can afford
them. Most Transgender people also face body dysphoria at a greater extent
endangering their mental health as well. Being marginalized and economically at a disadvantage, few trans people can afford to get treatment for issues such as anxiety stemming from this. Many times they are also refused treatment for basic ailments due to their gender.
It is evident that Trans people aren't treated with the basic respect they deserve and are further demonized by large sections of society. Bringing me to a critical issue:
transphobia in society
Transphobia, clearly is a hatred of trans people and one need not hesitate to dismiss it as irrational. Transphobia is directed towards trans people by people of all orientations and genders. The rigid concepts of masculinity and femininity are so deeply ingrained in our society that we dare not see someone defy the rules. Trans People are criticized for being too masculine and for being too feminine as well. This proves that the criticism isn’t directed at their behaviours but at the being trans itself. The fact that some women (popularly known as Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists or TERFs for short) attempt to exclude trans
women (Individuals born as men but identifying as female) from women reinforces the rigid stereotype that there is a “correct” way to be a woman. Trans Women Are Women and Trans Men Are Men. They don't have to conform to your ideals of femininity or masculinity. Transphobia manifests itself in many forms such as a. Verbal abuse/ Misgendering : Most Trans People specify which pronouns they wish to be referred by. This isn’t a minor concern and most trans people face extreme discomfort and dysphoria when addressed by the wrong pronouns. As Cisgender humans, it is necessary that we recognise this and address them with the right pronouns. This constitutes basic human dignity and respect.
b. Physical Abuse: Trans People are bullied starting at a very young age. They are
forced to experience public ridicule, harassment, threats of assault, assault and are demonized by a large section of society. This results in them being viewed suspiciously and dehumanized furthermore. As many as 50% off LGBT+ individuals killed as a result of hate crimes are trans. (NCAVP 2009).
Transphobia and Abuse together constitute a massive attack on the rights of trans humans. They are denied basic respect and dignity and treated as second-class citizens. As a cis man, my assessment of their struggles will never be accurate nor enough and all I can do is urge others to respect trans rights and educate themselves beyond this. Trans rights are human rights.
The Trans Community in India
In India, Trans people constitute a large portion of the population (as much as 28.18% in Uttar Pradesh- Census 2011) yet their identity is reduced to derogatory words and slurs used casually. Trans People in India have historically been an important of Indian culture and history. Hindu epics contain multiple instances where gods have changed genders for not just sexual but sacred purposes. Many scholars have pointed out popular LGBT+ themes in Hindu mythology and Indian history. It is hence surprising how the trans community has been dehumanized in modern times. A large number of Trans individuals have been murdered, assaulted and sexually molested. Sexual assault committed against Trans
individuals isn’t a criminal offence and this blocks access to justice to most victims. The Trans community has always been present and has been at the receiving end of animosity. The Supreme Court in The NALSA Judgement finally granted recognition to the trans community as “persons” and ensuring judicial equity and equality to them. In a disappointing turn of events, recently, the Transgender Rights bill 2019 has been passed in the Indian Parliament and enacted as Law. While the Bill claims to be progressive, it essentially places power in the hands of government individuals to decide who identifies as transgender. India has seen the rise of trans women taking strides and advocating for trans
rights. They have gained employment as lawyers, news anchors, policemen etc.
While this isn't a monumental leap, it is a testament to the fact that the trans community since ages has always been resilient and strong. It is now up to us to accept, humanize and respect them. To conclude, it is our generation responsible for shaping the world and we have the opportunity to correct some wrongs. This is merely one of them. Trans People among us have the right to life and liberty as much as any other humans. Take the opportunity of Pride Month to educate and make yourselves aware regarding the prevailing condition of the LGBT+ community and ensure that they have good allies in us.
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