Third Gender Solace

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-33
Author(s):  
William Burgwinkle
Keyword(s):  
Third Gender

Mainstreaming Third-Gender Healers: The Changing Perceptions of South Asian Hijras

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooja Jagadish
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Cultural Significance ◽  
Gender Group ◽  
Media Attention ◽  
Religious Significance ◽  
British Rule ◽  
False Identity ◽  
Third Gender

Mainstreaming is the act of bringing public light to a population or issue, but it can have a deleterious impact on the individuals being discussed. Hijras comprise a third-gender group that has long had cultural and religious significance within South Asian societies. Described as being neither male nor female, hijras were once called upon for their religious powers to bless and curse. However, after the British rule and in the wake of more-recent media attention, the hijra identity has been scrutinized under a harsh Western gaze. It forces non-Western populations to be viewed in terms of binaries, such as either male or female, and it classifies them by inapplicable Western terms. For example, categorizing a hijra as transgendered obfuscates the cultural significance that the term hijra conveys within their societies. Furthermore, media representations of hijras cause consumers to view themselves as more natural, while hijras become objectified as occupying a false identity. This has caused them to be pigeonholed within the very societies that once legitimated their existence and respected them for their powers. With their cultural practices being seen as outmoded, and their differences from Western people be- ing pointed out in the news and on television, hijras have faced significant discrimination and ridicule. After providing a discussion of relevant Western and non-Western concepts, I seek to describe hijras and the effects of mainstreaming on their lives. Finally, I offer a critique of cur- rent research on this population and provide solutions to improve their plight.

Following Lines of Beauty

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijaya Nagarajan
Keyword(s):  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Single Woman ◽  
Indian Women ◽  
Third Gender ◽  
Muslim Student

This chapter (along with Chapters 1 and 3) introduces the kōlam, a women’s ritual art tradition in Tamil Nadu, and outlines the author’s field research in India. The author found sacred marks not only on the thresholds of homes, businesses, and temples, but also on the foreheads of elephants and on pots and pans. The author relates what she learned from Indian women, a temple singer, a third-gender person, a Muslim student, elephant keepers, an astrologer, and many others. One key person in her research was the choreographer Chandralekha, whose work was deeply influenced by the kōlam. The author learned that men often dismissed the importance of the kōlam. The author recalls that although it was considered unusual for a single woman to travel alone through India as she did, she had only one unnerving encounter, which she describes in detail.

Language and Its Everyday Revolutionary Potential

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Mallinson
Keyword(s):  
Gender Bias ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Reform Movement ◽  
Language Reform ◽  
Gender Neutral ◽  
Third Gender ◽  
Linguistic Practices ◽  
Naming Practices

Centering on the English language reform movement, this chapter describes three main strategies through which feminists have targeted language, both as an object to reform and a platform for revolution. First, it describes the strategy of challenging man-made language forms, exemplified in debates over masculine generics. Second, it discusses the strategy of creating and institutionalizing egalitarian naming practices in order to reclaim the power to name and define. By tracing such forms as Ms., it becomes evident that even small shifts in language use can contribute to cultural change. Third, it describes the strategy of linguistic disruption, illustrated through such neologisms as herstory and womyn, gender-neutral forms such as singular they, and third-gender forms such as zie and zir. By using language creatively and sometimes radically to reject patriarchal language, respond to gender bias, and empower women, feminist activists and everyday speakers alike can employ linguistic practices to promote equality.

scholarly journals Transgender and the Right to Employment in India: Analysing the Trajectories of Discrimination

BESTUUR ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Utkarsh K. Mishra ◽  
Abhishek Negi
Keyword(s):  
Labor Laws ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
Right To Work ◽  
Employment Sector ◽  
Third Gender ◽  
The Right ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Silver Lining

<p>This research aims to investigate the trajectories of discrimination these communities face in the employment sector. While doing so, the authors have emphasized that despite a clear mandate of ‘Right to Work’ in the Constitution of India, policymakers, governments, and the Indian judiciary too has been keen only on laying down framework only concerning ‘Rights at work.’ In this sense, the authors opine that India presently lacks a clear employment non-discrimination framework. Even almost all the labor laws of India stipulate rights and duties post-recruitment scenario. There is an apparent lack of pre-recruitment guidelines. In this light, the authors see the Supreme Court’s recent judgment in the NALSA case recognizing the Transgenders as ‘third gender’ and the efforts of the Indian Parliament to frame a law on the protection of the rights of the transgender people as a silver lining in the cloud. This paper highlights the underpinnings of this development by still emphasizing that something needs to be done more on the front.</p><p> </p><p><strong>  </strong><strong>Keywords:</strong> Transgenders; Employment; India.</p>

scholarly journals Human Rights Violation of Transgender People: A Critical Analysis on Bangladesh Perspective

2018 ◽  
pp. 165-175
Author(s):  
Puja Mitra
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
The Third ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Third Gender

Transgender people are discriminated based on their gender identity, especially, in the societies of South Asian countries. The legal recognition of this ‘third sex’ had to wait long in countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. The human rights of these people are being violated in every sector although having been recognized as ‘citizens’ by their respective governments. Many countries have already started to let them get involved in different social and economic activities. In 2013, the Bangladesh government declared the status of the third gender to the transgender people of its territory. This recognition was aimed to protect all the human rights of the third gender enabling them to identify their gender as ‘Hijra’ in all government documents and passport. Section 27 of the Constitution of Bangladesh states that ‘All the citizens are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of law’. But the legal protection of the human rights of the newly recognized third gender is questionable till now. The Prevention of Oppression against Women and Children Act, 2000 describes the rights of only women and children. In Bangladesh, the transgender people are becoming rape victims everywhere but unlike women and children, their rape cases never get filed as the police officers do not even believe that anyone can rape these third genders. This social taboo and negligence are costing the sexual minorities their human rights like legal protection. Therefore, it has become important to address this issue to create social awareness which might induce the urgency to practice equal laws for every gender identity. In this paper, a critical analysis of the human rights of Bangladeshi transgendered people has been performed. Finally, the human rights condition of transgender people of Nepal and India is also discussed.

Health Problems of Third Gender in Naulo Bihani, Pokhara

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-87
Author(s):  
Krishna Prasad Tripathi
Keyword(s):  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Interview Schedule ◽  
Feminine Gender ◽  
Bacterial Diseases ◽  
The Third ◽  
Gender Minorities ◽  
Witness Violence ◽  
Third Gender ◽  
And Gender

The third gender is in many cultures made up of an individual, considered male at the time of birth, but change on feminine gender role or sexual role when they grow up and vice versa third genders and homosexual are the group of people who are not allowed to talk about their sexual and emotional preferences in public. The study health problems faced by the third gender of Naulo Bihani, Pokhara raises the genuine questions regarding the demographic and health condition of that third gender. All 60 residing there were the sample of data collection through census method by using interview schedule with open and close questions. Observation and KII were done with the management committee of Naulo Bihani, Pokhara, and sister organization of Blue Dimond Society Kathmandu. It attempts to raise consciousness of human rights on the sexual and gender minorities, witness violence, abuse and rape. All the respondents suffered from viral and bacterial diseases; 78.33 percent suffered from protozoa infection. Only fifteen percent respondents were suffered from Syphilis. But no one was suffered from HIV AIDS. They felt social discrimination and tell them Hijara and so on. It is justification to advocate their right in the society so the researcher tried to make a research on the topic.

Voicing the Voiceless

2020 ◽  
pp. 197-210
Author(s):  
Tamilselvi Natarajan
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Minorities ◽  
Visual Representation ◽  
Future Generation ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Future ◽  
Third Gender ◽  
Tamil Cinema

Cinema always represented the society, and any visual representation about ‘not so commonly discussed' topics becomes crucial as they are the image blocks for the future generation. The power of cinema is high among Tamil audience, which is evident from the emergence of two great political leaders who are byproducts of it. It is essential to understand how sexual minorities are represented in a culture-specific society. In India, representation of the third gender was insensitive, and Tamil cinema is no exception. These representations cannot be ignored as ‘just in screen' as screen represents reality. Nevertheless, few fair images are making a significant impact on the audience about transgender. Studying representations about sexual minorities in Tamil cinema is important in today's context, where young minds are exposed to digital platforms. This chapter explains the description of the transgender community in Tamil cinema and analyses its impact on society.

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