What's it like to be a trans woman? These 5 divas reveal it all

It's more to being a trans woman than wearing makeup and strutting in heels.

  • Trans women face various forms of violence and ostracism by the society. They are mocked and bullied by people, including women, for their gender identity.

    However these five trans women are fighting all odds to be who they are. There's nothing that will get their spirits down and that's what they prove with the story of their lives.

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    Photo Coutesy: Cosmopolitan India
  • Navya, who's a transgender woman, talks about how the society refuses to treat trans women as people, and instead treats them as 'things'.

    "We can't be molested, because we are 'things', we can't be raped because we are 'things'. I think just getting basic respect would be a huge milestone to any trans woman anywhere on earth,"  Navya says.

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    Photo Coutesy: Cosmopolitan India
  • "I wanted to be a model and I was told repeatedly that I'd never make it--that India would never accept a trans model," says Anjali Lama, who's the first transgender model of Nepal. She recently walked multiple ramps at the Lakmé Fashion Week.

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    Photo Coutesy: Cosmopolitan India
  • Meet Samaira, whose story is different and that of hope. She was welcomed by the society with open arms and didn't have to face turbulence for her gender identity.

    "I realize more and more and more with every time I meet another trans woman how extraordinarily blessed I was--I never once felt misunderstood," says Samaira.

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    Photo Coutesy: Cosmopolitan India
  • Meet Taksh, a trans woman, who grew up in small towns of India and faced some different struggles altogether.

    "I was dressing how I wanted to--which at the time was inspired by '90s women in hip-hop, to the point of trying to explain what a jersey was to flummoxed railors, saying: bhaiya, please make this two sizes bigger," Taksh explains.

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    Photo Coutesy: Cosmopolitan India
  • "Sometimes it's forced bravado--we'll be extra fierce or extra sardonic, but it's the only way to deal with the world when you feel like your chips are down," Paras, who's a transgender woman, talks about turning anger into strength.

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    Photo Coutesy: Cosmopolitan India
  • To read more, grab the April 2017 issue of Cosmopolitan out on the stands now.

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