Who is a transgender? Debunking myths about the third gender

Not all transgenders are hijras, by the way. Photo Courtesy: Twitter/JanieWar?

 
Transgender. This is a word every man, woman, and child who reads the news is familiar with. There are transgender beauty contests, transgender employees in public transport, and even separate urinal facilities for transgenders in certain states across India.
 
Yet, ask anyone as to what makes a person 'transgender', nine out of 10 times, you won't find an answer. The problem isn't that of ignorance--it's lack of education about the matters of this community that's to blame.
 
So let's debunk some myths today.
 
For starters, remember: they're human too--just like you and me. Calling them 'chakka' or other such slurs hurts their sentiments. Imagine being referred to as 'mister', when in fact you're a 'miss'. Or being called a woman, though you're a man. It doesn't feel nice right?
 
That's what members of the transgender community feel when you taunt them for their gender, or refuse to accept the gender they identify with.
 
Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to debunking some myths about the transgender community.
 
Who Is A Transgender?
A transgender is someone who doesn't identify with the gender they are born with. Suppose you are born as a man, but identify as a woman--that makes you a transgender woman.
 
The word is also used as an umbrella term that includes those who do not identify as either man or woman--yes, that is possible. It also includes those who are not exclusively masculine or feminine.

People who are not transgender are called cisgenders--because they identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. So if you were born a woman and also identify as a woman--you are a cisgender woman.
 
They Are Different From Hijras
The word hijra is Persian, which is loosely translated to eunuch in English. However, they are different from eunuchs, as not all of them are necessarily castrated, unlike the latter.

Another thing that you must remember is that not all transgenders are hijras. They are a different community, that has its own initiation rituals and usually live under a guru.

According to the Supreme Court's judgement on third gender, hijras are biological males who reject their masculine identity and identify either as women; "not-men"; "in-between man and woman"; or "neither man nor woman".
 
In India, they even have their own secret code language, known as Hijra Farsi, which is derived from Persian and Hindustani. The blessings of a hijra during an auspicious ceremony is considered to be a good omen in the Indian culture, which is why you would often see the people of the hijra community dancing at weddings or birth of a child.
 
What's Intersex Then?
The society's perception about hijras is quite erroneous. The members of the hijra community are often viewed as people who are born with both the reproductive organs. What the society is describing, however, is intersex people.

You see, intersex are those who are born with any of several variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, or genitals that "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies".
 
They can be those who are born with both the reproductive organs, or a different variation of the usual chromosomal combination. You may remember from your biology lessons that the usual chromosomal phenotypes include: XY--male and XX--female. However, those who are intersex can have a different variation of the phenotype, which makes their bodies different from ours.
 
So, if it's the just the chromosomes, can you identify if a child is intersex at his/her birth? Well, not really. You see, some intersex traits are not always visible at birth. Some babies may be born with ambiguous genitals, while others may have ambiguous internal organs (testes and ovaries). Others will not become aware that they are intersex unless they receive genetic testing, because it does not manifest in their phenotype.
 
Do Only Sex-Change Operations Make A Transgender
No, not all transgenders transition to the gender they identify with. However, that doesn't mean that they are not transgender.
 
A transwoman (someone who was born to the male gender, but identifies with female gender) may or may not transition via surgery. The choice to go under the knife actually varies from one person to another. Some may identify as transgender, but may actually be comfortable with the body they were born in.
 
Also, because the word transgender is used as an umbrella term for other gender identities, not all of them would require surgical intervention.
 
Why We Need To Be Educated About Them
We live in a world that's coming to terms with sexual fluidity. Gender is a social construct and its very staunch rules are now being broken even in India. Soon enough, we could be living in a world with transgender bosses, transgender ministers, transgender actors. Your best friend could be a transgender but is scared to come out because 'log kya kahenge'.
 
Sexuality and gender are personal choices--and they don't take away from the fact that gay or straight, transgenders are human. They have the same bodily functions, the same sentiments, and deserve the same respect that you do as a cisgender individual. And humanity is still a thing.

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