Towards Becoming Truly Rights-Bearing Citizens: Twenty Years of Trans Activism in India

Abstract

 “All of us are put in boxes by our family, by our religion, by our society, our moment in history, even our own bodies. Some people have the courage to break free” - Geena Rocero

The society at large is scared of accepting something that deviates from the majority. The ones who try and break free of the accepted norms are brutally criticized and ostracized. Transgenders are a classic example of this attitude of the society. One needs grit and conviction to overcome the odds and find a place for oneself, and transgenders have long been fighting for their legitimate place in the society as honourable citizens. Despite the oppressive conditions, or perhaps as a result of them, transgender people have crossed a considerable progress in taking forward their civil rights, social visibility and right to equality in India in the last two decades (Srivastava, 2014). Transgender activism, in fact, emerged and evolved to become one of the recognizable movements in this period. This activism has largely focused on alleviating cultural stigma associated with transgender identity. The activism of transgender community has found its collective face by aligning itself with the lesbian, gay and other sexual minorities who are together known by the general umbrella term LGBTQI Community. This paper traces the history of transgender activism in last twenty years. It attempts to map out the important phases of transsactivism in India. It also highlights the modes and strategies adopted by the trans activists in taking forward their struggle for equal rights and a life of dignity. The legislation of transgender Rights Act, as well as criticisms against this Act are also analysed. Life narratives written by transgender activists Revathi, Laxmi, Manobi, Vidya and life stories of others are taken as the source for tracing the trajectories of trans activism, along with journalistic reports, columns and other first-hand narratives.