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Pictures Of Confidence: Transgenders Are Charting A New Path

Transgenders face more mental and physical violence, as well as social stigma and discrimination, than any other community.

Transgenders face more mental and physical violence, as well as social stigma and discrimination, than any other community. As a result, most of them conceal their gender reality and hesitate goi­ng out for work. And if they do, they are paid lower wages and discriminated against. But the situation is changing. Today, they occupy many senior positions in respectable jobs.

New frontiers Mahi Gupta works with Noida Metro

When Simran Arora “came out”, the first question that was raised by her shocked family is “What will you do? Are you also going to beg?”. Now 38, the first transgender emplo­yee of the central government is a consultant at the Nat­i­onal Backward Classes Finance and Develo­p­m­ent Corpor­a­t­ion under Ministry of Social Jus­t­ice and Empowerment.

Vippi is a beautician

Shreya Singh Dalal was the mar­keting and PR manager of the Lalit Suri Group till rece­n­t­ly. Born into a middle-class Calcutta family as a boy, she beg­an accepting her gender reality whi­le she was in Class VII. A big reason behind her success is Gurgaon-based Reena Rai. Since the time Dalal lost her parents, Rai has stood behind her, even doing kanya daan when Dalal recently got married.

Many shades of beauty Shaine Soni, fashion model

Former Miss Transqueen India Vippi is a ma­ke-­­up artist at a beauty parlour. She says she be­gan noticing the cha­nge in her when she was ar­ound 10 years old. She gave up school after Cla­ss X, but reali­sed she did­n’t want to become a kinnar when she encou­ntered some on the str­eets. She says, “I faced many difficulties, but I now work at a respectful place. If I can succeed, why can’t others like me? We transgenders are not only meant for begging or sex work.”

Shreya Singh Dalal with Reena Rai at the former’s wedding

The current Miss Transqueen India, Shaine Soni, says people wanted her to grow up as a boy, but she wanted to be like her mother. At the age of 17, she left her house, became a fas­h­ion desi­gner. A top 15 placement in the TV reality show Let’s Design S2 gave her the opp­ortunity to work in Hong Kong. She will now represent India in Miss Trans International.

The umbilical cord running through all of the­se people is Ree­na Rai, known as Trans-Mom. Herself a cisgender, she is the founder-di­rector of Miss Transqueen India, and helps other tra­n­sgender people achieve their dreams.

(This appeared in the print edition as "Pictures of Confidence")

Text & Photos by Suresh K. Pandey

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