What is a hijra? Dev Patel’s Monkey Man shines a light on India’s third gender communities

Hijras are a third gender in India, who have existed for 2000 years (Getty)

Written by Michele Theil

Dev Patel’s latest film, Monkey Man, has been praised for including India’s “third gender”, the hjira. But who exactly are hjiras? Here’s what you need to know about them.

The Indian subcontinent has been home to “hijras” for over 2,000 years,: communities of gender non-conforming people who are neither male nor female and fall under the umbrella term of “third gender”.

They’re even mentioned in the ancient text the Kama Sutra, where they’re referred to as the third sex.

People who identify as hijras prefer the term third gender rather than transgender, simply because hijiras do not see themselves as male or female: but rather something distinct and separate.

Typically, hijras are born with male genitalia or are intersex – born with both male and female sex characteristics – and may decide to remove their genitalia later in life. However, they do not then have gender reassignment surgery and gain female genitalia: in technical medical terms, they become “eunuchs“.

The surgery is part of a ceremony celebrating Bahuchara Mata, a Hindu mother goddess associated with people who challenge traditional gender roles.

Hijras often dress like women, adopt feminine characteristics, and use female pronouns, which is be why they are often mistaken for transgender women, however, being a hijra is a unique and distinct identity.

Serena Nanda, an anthropologist who has studied the hijras and written a book about them called Neither Male or Female, previously told Vox that the “power of the combined man/woman is a frequent and significant theme” in Hinduism – though some hijras are Muslim.

It is estimated that there are between two and three million hijiras living in India.

Young people who wish to join the hijra community are initiated by a guru or teacher who teaches them about the hijra way of life and the complex combination of rituals hijras perform throughout their lives.

Hijras play an important tole at weddings and other ceremonies to celebrate female sexuality, and are believed to have a beneficial impact on the bride’s fertility. However, they also face violence and discrimination for challenging traditional gender roles. Hijras are often victims of assault and sexual violence and are denied access to healthcare, housing, and employment.

This discrimination dates back to British colonialism, with the British colonial authorities criminalising hijras and stripping them of legal protection.

In 2014, hijras were recognised by the Supreme Court of India as a minority community and given the right to employment, welfare, and health services.

Despite that legal recognition, hijras are still relatively underrepresented in India – and across the world.

Monkey Man‘s hijra inclusion

That’s why Dev Patel’s latest film is extremely important. Monkey Man, released last week in the UK and US, is considered an “anthem for the underdogs, the voiceless, and the marginalised”.

The film follows Kid, who joins a group of trans and gender non-conforming characters to fight the elite oppressing them, with Patel saying that “they wage this war for the good and the just”.

“I really wanted to include the hijra community, the third gender in India. We should be fighting for [one another], not against [one another]. For me, it has become rigid over time.

 “When you look at the old carvings in these temples in India, the freedom, the sexuality, all of it, the philosophy was so ahead of its time, I wanted to dive into it and make that the lore of the film,” Patel said.

Courtesy : Pink News

Note: This news piece was originally published in pinknews.com and used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Right