Gender Equality remains major concern for Transgender (Kinnar) community in India

Guwahati: The word “transgender” – or trans – is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned to us at birth. Although the word “transgender” and our modern definition of it only came into use in the late 20th century, people who would fit under this definition have existed in every culture throughout recorded history.

Here’s a story of a transgender person from New Delhi who claimed to be a Mechanical Engineering Student from Dilkap College & Institute of Engineering in Mumbai. He passed his engineering exam in the year 2014, but, failed to chase his goals, thus, struggling with his own gender identity before he came out as transgender.

Identified as Prachal Singh (27), a resident of Delhi has come all along the capital city of Assam to seek blessings from Goddess Kamakhya Devi at the ongoing Ambubachi Mela 2019 that began from June 22.

Singh presently has been leading her life like a saint also expressed his desires to work in a good engineering company, but, questioned Government of India on the status of the third genders that are still treated badly in the society despite Supreme Court’s verdict on Section 377.

“People like us have got no value in the society, still my school and college days, I was a boy, I was struggling with his own gender identity until 2014 when I came out as transgender,” said Prachal Singh.

Singh joined many other transgender (Kinnar) community people from various parts of the nation will be performing a ‘yuga’ at around 10.30 pm at the Kamakhya Temple today.

It may also be mentioned that People who identify as transgender or transsexual are usually people who are born with typical male or female anatomies but feel as though they’ve been born into the “wrong body.”

People who have intersex conditions have anatomy that is not considered typically male or female. Most people with intersex conditions come to medical attention because doctors or parents notice something unusual about their bodies. In contrast, people who are transgendered have an internal experience of gender identity that is different from most people.

Many people confuse transgender and transsexual people with intersex conditions because they see two groups of people who would like to choose their own gender identity and sometimes those choices require hormonal treatments and/or surgery. These are similarities. It’s also true, albeit rare, that some people who have intersex conditions also decide to change genders at some point in their life, so some people with intersex conditions might also identify themselves as transgender or transsexual.

In spite of these similarities, these two groups should not be and cannot be thought of as one. The truth is that the vast majority of people with intersex conditions identify as male or female rather than transgender or transsexual. Thus, where all people who identify as transgender or transsexual experience problems with their gender identity, only a small portion of intersex people experience these problems.

It’s also important to understand the differences between these two groups because in spite of some similarities they face many different struggles, including different forms of discrimination. The differences between transgender and transsexual and intersex have been understood by lawmakers in countries such as Australia where lawmakers have publicly acknowledged that people with intersex conditions have distinct needs from people who identify as transgender or transsexual.

People who identify as transgender or transsexual also face discrimination and deserve equality. We also believe that people with intersex conditions and folks who identify as transgender or transsexual can and should continue to work together on human rights issues; however, there are important differences to keep in mind so that both groups can work toward a better future.

Also Read: Clean & Plastic-Free Ambubachi Mela Initiative