Transgender - I Am Human Too!!
- Surekha
- Nov 20, 2020
- 10 min read
Updated: Mar 31, 2021
ACCEPT THEM THEY ARE ONE OF OUR FAMILY
“Transgender”, What is the first thing that comes to your head after hearing this word? I think you all will agree if I say an image of people with loud make-up, clapping, dancing at events such as birth ceremonies, marriage or housewarming parties furthermore portrayal of them begging at traffic signals or inside trains pops up. Ever thought why are they like this? I had this curiosity since I was a child that why are they not into any other profession/job and why are they not a part of our society as alternative genders, this made me find more about their life. Knowing all the facts and pain behind their actions, I thought of writing this blog to bring awareness and bring their reality and the pain they go through in front of our society so that we can change our thoughts about them furthermore make them a part of our community. We can not even imagine the tragic, harsh reality they have to suffer until their last breath.
The Transgender community is one of the most downgraded people in the country. In India, there are a cultural groups of transgender people like Hijra/kinnars, eunuchs, intersex people and other transgender identities like- jogtas, Jagappa, Aradhis, Sakhi, Chhakka, etc. This community is so neglected that most people do not even know what Transgender means, So I will begin with explaining who transgender are? Transgender are those people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were assigned at birth, Confused? Do not worry I was too but let me clarify it for you. Transgenders are born biologically with definite gender male or female. Over a while, they start thinking that they are in an erroneous body and they start behaving like the opposite gender.
People can discover that they are transgender at any age. Although some people think they may be transgender in childhood, some don't realize it until they are teens or adults. Some people may spend years feeling like they don't accord without really understanding why or may try to avoid thinking or talking about their gender out of fear, shame or confusion. Trying to repress or change a person's gender identity does not work. In fact, it can be very gut-wrenching and damaging to emotional and mental health.
It's not unusual for someone to come out as transgender after they have had kids or retiral. Bruce Jenner, the most famous transgender woman in the world, who was assigned male at birth and having six children with three successive wives publicly came out as a trans woman named Caitlyn Jenner. He changed his gender at the age of 66.
Transgender kids often have that trans identity by adolescence, and sometimes as young as 18-24 months. Kids whose families are accepting and supportive of their identity are much more likely to thrive. But it’s a matter of pity that only 2% of parents accept transgender kids.
Transgender people are born like any other child. It is not their wish or fault to be a certain way. It bothers me a lot. It is very hard for me to comprehend why parents disown their child as soon as they learn that their child is a transgender. Most parents believe that their child has some physical and mental disability. Transgender children never get any support rather they suffer verbal and corporal abuses at the hands of their parents, siblings and other family members. Hence, they either run away from home or sometimes parents force their child to leave thinking their child may return repenting. The study finds that 99% of transgenders have suffered social rejections on more than one occasion. Because of fear of being rejected by their parents, family members or society most of them keep their identities as a secret till they can not hide it. Along with family and social rejection lots of other challenges they face in their life are;
Lack of love, respect and acceptance from parents, family member, friends and society
They totally lose their childhood.
Risk social stigma, discrimination, harassment, violence and tremendous bias.
96% are fired or denied a job and are forced to take low paying or undignified work for livelihood like badhais, sex work and begging.
Lack of education facilities, harassment, and bullying at school/college. 62% are verbally abused in school. 15% are harassed by students as well as teachers.
Become Homeless, be evicted or denied housing or access to a shelter.
Lack of medical facilities like HIV care and hormone pill abuse
Depression or suicidal attempt, self-harm, substance abuse
Live in extreme Poverty
Tobacco and alcohol abuse
Penectomy and problems related to marriage and adoption
Barred from inheritance
No access to bathrooms/toilets and public space
Lack of legal protection
Identity document
Associating them with prostitution, sex worker, bar dancer, raped brutally by gundas (goons) even by police and abuse
Rejection of entry directly or indirectly at some public places likes hospitals, hotels, malls, restaurant, dancefloor, theaters, shopping complexes etc.
Victims of subtle discrimination which includes everything from glance or glares of disapproval or discomfort to invasive questions about their body part
They even get killed for being transgender.
In short, we can say that transgender people are not even considered as a human.
PREVENT TRANS PEOPLE FROM SUICIDE!!
Because of discrimination and other factors, the suicide rate among transgender
people is very high. The suicide prevention resource center reports that more than 83% of transgender people had thought about suicide, 54% had attempted it. It can be difficult for people who are not transgender to imagine what being transgender feels like. Imagine what it would be like if everyone told you that gender that you've always known yourself to be was wrong. What would you feel like if you woke up one day with a body that's associated with a different gender? What would you do if everyone else, your
parents, family, friends, relatives believed you're a man and expected you to act like a man when you're actually a woman or believed you're a woman even though you've always known you are a man? Transgender people feel that they are trapped in a wrong body that does not match with their identity, hence to match physiological and biological identity trans men and women both go through the transition. Talking to a few individuals I found that there is a bit of confusion and lack of knowledge about what transition means and the process. Let me try to explain here :
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRANSITION?
Transitioning is the process of changing the way you look and how people see and treat you so that you become the gender you feel on the inside. There are two different types of transition, or way to affirm your gender; social transition and medical transition. Social transitioning may include; changing your name and preferred pronoun, dressing/grooming in ways that match your gender identity, It can involve coming out to your friends and family. The other is the medical transition which can be different for trans men and trans women.
For trans women medical transition may include;
Hormone therapy (to create feminine characteristics such as less body hair, breasts,
redistribution of body fat toward hips and breasts), removal of tests, breasts implants, laser hair removal, Tracheal shave, Facial feminization surgery, creation of vagina by inverting penile skin.
For trans men medical transition may include;
Hormone therapy (to create masculine characteristics such as a deeper voice, facial hair growth, muscle growth, redistribution of body fat from hips and breasts,
not getting a period, etc.), top surgery, removal of internal female reproductive organs such as the ovaries and uterus, construction of a penis using skin from other parts of your body, surgery that causes your clitoris to work more like a penis, along with hormone treatment to make your clitoris grow larger.
This is a proper whole medical way of transition. But some may transition medically by doing one or only a few of the procedures listed above. Some may take hormones and decide not to have surgeries, or just choose one kind of surgery and none of the others. This surgery is really painful, and these kinds of medical procedures can be very expensive, which means that not everyone can afford them. Transitioning is a process that can take anywhere between several months and several years. During that time frame ,they isolate themselves from outside world. Gender identity should always be respected no matter how they decide to transition socially or medically.
Manabí Bandyopadhyay, India's first transgender college principal said ''I did not want to cheat my own reality. I simply wasn't able to do that. My education, my very being
was telling me to be honest with myself.''
Earlier I used to think that why these people clap so aggressively and choose to look the way they do. After watching few interviews regarding transgenders, I learned that when their family don't accept them they are forced to run away from home.
These homeless people are either adopted by gurus or they go to their transgender community where they learn how to dance, makeup and clap And basically throughout their life they are sexually assaulted, financially exploited and physically used. Society never accept them as their own . Hence they show their anger toward us by clapping aggressively. They apply such
loud makeup to show that even they are beautiful. If we give love and respect and help them to groom up they can do anything. Some so many successful transgender people broke the shackles to become the first ones to achieve big in their area of interest. For this, they have to take the tough path and face abusive behavior in society. They must make extra efforts to be accepted in the world of 'commoners’. to prove themselves. Here are some transgenders who are
breaking barriers across the field.
They are equally talented and can do anything they desire. People have false conceptions about their beauty but today they have proved that they are equally graceful and beautiful.
Being transgender is not a choice It’s because of ignorance or lack of awareness regarding trans people in society that some people still think that being transgender is a choice. They are unaware of the psychological trauma a transgender person goes through every day, every minute, every second. Let’s get together and help each other to create a society where every human is treated humanely. There are lots of ways we can support this community and here are some steps I can think of to support this community:
Spread awareness about this community and the issues they face.
Educate yourself about transgender issues by reading books, attending conference, and consulting with a transgender expert. Be aware of your attitudes towards them.
Keep the lines of communication open with the transgender person in your life.
Don’t pressure your child to change, love your child for who they are.
Parents should stand by their children no matter what. I do feel sorry for those families who do not accept and even disown their transgender children. They are their own flesh and blood. They are human beings and have feelings. Don’t throw them to the wolves. If you are having difficulties, please seek additional help through websites, printed resources, support groups or health providers.
The Press Council of India and other watchdog institutions of various popular media (including film, video and TV) should issue guidelines to ensure sensitive and respectful treatment of these issues.
The police at all levels should undergo sensitization workshops by human rights group/queer groups to break down their social prejudices and to train them to accord transgender the same courteous and humane treatment as they should towards the general public. Protection and safety should be ensured for transgender to prevent rape, harassment and abuse even in police custody.
Centre and state government should take steps to create public awareness so that Transgender people will feel that they are also part and parcel of the social life and not be treated as untouchable; take measures to regain their respect and place in society; and seriously address the problems such as fear, shame, gender dysphoria, social pressure, depression, suicidal tendencies and social stigma.
A comprehensive sex-education program should be included as part of school curricula and educate properly about gender identity, orientation and behavior of all sexualities. Transgender kids should not have to face any kind of harassment and bullying at school by students as well as teachers. They should get equal rights and respect at school.
Vocational training centers should be established for giving the transgender new occupational opportunities.
Media is one of the most popular and effective sources to give any message to society or spread any awareness, hence media should play a key role to spread awareness about this community among people.
Understand and communicate respectfully with someone who is transgender.
Please feel free to email or leave a comment here in this blog if I am missing anything!
SOME FACTS AND NUMBERS
In 2014, for the first time, the transgender population was counted in India during the Census. According to the Times of India, as per the last counting, there are4,90,000 transgenders in India. However, estimates suggest there are 50 to 60 lakh transgenders in India, but most keep it secret to avoid discrimination. Trans people in India have lived oppressed lives for a long time. It was only after a hard battle that they gained legal recognition. A battle which was mostly fought alone, because many didn't understand them.
In April 2014 supreme court passed a landmark judgment for the Indian transgender community as it officially recognized the third gender, giving this community a legal identity. Even though this marked a historical win, there is still a long way to go for the transgender community to be completely accepted and integrated into India's society.
Kerala is one of the most transgender-friendly states in India, has put in place measures to improve access to education and jobs. Other states must learn a lesson from Kerala and other is Tamil Nadu, where some steps have been taken to improve the life of trans by providing them education, identity cards and subsidized food and free housing.
WHY BE ASHAMED TO BEING DIFFERENT?
In our society gender is taken to mean only male and female. But there are also other genders LGBTQIA Community. Earlier there was only LGBT community. All gender non confirming people, intersex, are included in transgender. (Children born with both sex organs have been identified as intersex). Like
transgender LGBTQIA community also have to suffer lots of problems. Why be ashamed of being different? 'Man' and 'woman' are nothing, but labels attached to our back. It's us who like to make things more complicated. It's us who insisted on classifying love between gender. We make 'sexuality' become something more important than ‘love' and what for? For criticizing people who do absolutely nothing wrong but love someone they truly see a future with, for killing the young generation with their definition about 'finding a soulmate’. Well to me-those are the most ridiculous reasons to hate
somebody. We were born with the most basic human rights. to live and to love. So why now do we turn our back to other people, break our own promise with the excuse "To make the future better? '.the world has bigger problems than boys who kiss boys and girls who kiss girls. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex are human too. We should not treat them differently. We should love them more because they suffer a lot and their hearts are so big that they can break barriers and build bridges to love others. That is what we should learn from.
In conclusion, I request all my readers to show a little empathy towards transgender community and inculcate them in our society. They desire to be treated fairly and equally.
LOVE OTHERS; LET'S BUILD BRIDGES NOT WALLS
Must watch videos on Transgender.
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