New Delhi: The bullying that Anjali Rao had to endure as a transgender person for wanting a life of dignity and choice proves one thing: that social expectation dictates transpeople should either beg or be in sex work to survive.
Anjali (23) has proved that ability has no gender. She has proved it not once, but twice.
A transgender person is someone whose gender identity differs from the one he/she is assigned at birth.
Anjali, a transwoman with a formal education, once found herself begging on the streets alongside others from her community. Her journey into this harsh reality began after she was forced to leave her call centre job due because of relentless bullying.
“From my adolescence onwards, each day was a battle, not just for survival, but for recognition and respect in a world that often turned a blind eye to my existence,” she said.
From a young age, Anjali knew she did not identify with the male gender assigned to her at birth. Voicing this truth was impossible back then. “I was happy being a girl inside, but I was bullied for ‘being girly’,” she said.
School lunch breaks were not about hanging with friends. It was a time of isolation for Anjali, who sat locked in the washroom to escape the torment of her peers.
Anjali got regular work in call centre. While working there, she faced harassment from her colleagues for her appearance and mannerisms. She was once locked up in an office toilet.
The hostile environment forced Anjali to quit after a year. “My colleagues were so hostile with me that I didn’t even have the courage to think of working in another office. The only way I could earn a living was by begging with other transwomen and so I did that.” It could have crushed her soul.
It was during her time working with another transperson that Anjali had an epiphany. “This is not how I want my life to end up,” she thought. She then reached out to NGOs that work for the rights of trans people and asked for works. Anjali now works for the Keshav Suri Foundation in Delhi.
Anjali’s trial is not rare among transpeople, and hence important to highlight.
Like Anjali, Mohul Sharma (26) also struggled. His fight as a transman began at home.
Mohul, who never identified with the female gender assigned to him at birth, recalled a moment when he was 16. “I remember watching an episode of Satyamev Jayate called ‘Accepting Alternative Sexuality,’ and for the first time, I felt I wasn’t alone in feeling different about my body,” he said.
This revelation propelled Mohul to seek out others from the trans community. He found out about a transperson event and decided to attend. He was astonished to see people like him, but who were comfortable about their identity.
However, Mohul’s hope was soon crushed. His father found out that Mohul had attended a trans event. He was licked up at home, his phone was snatched and he was barred from socialising for almost a year and a half.
Despite the setback, Mohul’s resolve strengthened. At 19, after much persuasion, his father agreed to his transition surgery.
Though Mohul’s personal journey towards acceptance progressed, another challenge emerged: finding a job. “During my transition, several companies refused to hire me, fearing I would influence other employees to transition,” he said.
Mohul went from door to door seeking employment. His perseverance paid off when he connected with people who valued his skills and helped him secure a position at Lalit Hotel in the diversity and inclusion section.
Swara Thapa (31), a transwoman, who now runs an NGO, Swarathma Foundation, said: “There is a common notion, especially among the parents whose children are opening up about their identities that they fear that their children will now only be able to go for begging and sex work, which is why there is a need for examples of transpersons working in jobs other than sex work and begging.”
Swara’s foundation now helps the community in getting jobs. She said more companies should come forward and hire transpeople.
Courtesy : TOI
Note: This news is originally published in timesofindia.com and was used solely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights.
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