Making a life on the margins of society

July 1, 2014 8:01 PM

After Koovagam, India's Largest Transgender Festival: "Some of the transgender women you see on the street were training to be lawyers or engineers," says Rangeela, who is one of a handful in her circle who did not drop out of school. "I hope in that in 10 years those people can go on with their careers and not be stuck into a life of prostitution."

More about the Koovagam festival...
...and on keeping order there

A quick guide to trans terminology in India

Previously on Metafilter: Supreme Court of India recognizes transgenders as 'third gender'; Indian Hijra Festival

posted by Ragini (2 comments total)

Thaiyamma... goodness. But the 'puberty' celebration sounds like fun.

Thanks for the quick terminology guide too. I learned a lot in a few paragraphs.
posted by Trivia Newton John at 11:19 PM on July 1, 2014

Thanks for this. Hijra are one of the examples you hear brought up most often of trans/nonbinary/third-gender/whatever identities outside the Anglo world — but I can't think when I've heard or read anything about them besides out-of-context mentions of the word "hijra" or handwavy claims that they are "totally accepted" and "considered sacred"-whatever-that-means. It's nice to get a bit of a more nuanced picture.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:38 AM on July 2, 2014