Iswaraya takes centre stage
Iswaraya is a thirunangai or trans woman from Vellore district in search of a life of dignity and respect. Here is the story of her continuing struggle to start and run a successful drama troupe in Tamil Nadu
T
SANGUR, PUNJAB
|FRI, JUN 30, 2023
Everyday lives of queer people
Queer people identify on spectrums of gender identity, gender expression, sexuality and sexual orientation. They are often grouped as the LGBTQIA+ community and include Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning/Queer, Intersex, Asexual and more. Their journey to full acceptance in social and legal spheres has been a struggle. The stories in this collection highlight the lack of access of the queer community to basic rights. In both personal and professional spaces, there is a constant struggle for social acceptance, justice, identity and a stable future. Here are stories from across India that bring the voices of queer people celebrating the joy, alone and in solidarity, as they navigate the struggles of being themselves
Author
'I cannot lead a false life'
Ramya is a trans woman, called thirunangais in her Irular community. She says the civic and political agency of trans women like her is growing, and she plans to stand for panchayat elections soon
December 07, 2024 | Smitha Tumuluru
Selvi amma: Coimbatore’s biryani master
A beloved cook’s biryani is all the rage in Coimbatore’s Pullukadu area. With over 15 trans employees, this is an inclusive-catering service
September 17, 2024 | Poongodi Mathiarasu and Akshara Sanal
Colouring Mysuru with pride
A diverse group of people across gender spectrum and their allies from neighboring cities and states came together to celebrate Mysuru's second Pride march
July 21, 2024 | Sweta Daga
‘People respect me because I'm a theatre artiste’
A Therukkoothu performer speaks about the challenges faced by transgender artistes as they pursue their passion for this ancient theatre form in Tamil Nadu
June 22, 2024 | Poongodi Mathiarasu
‘If democracy is lost, all marginalised communities lose’
As members of the queer community went out to canvas during the run-up to General Elections 2024, the ruling party supporters heckled and threatened them and the journalist covering the event
May 16, 2024 | Sweta Daga
Sumit’s journey to meet himself
Sexual and gender-based violence can manifest in many forms. From familial resistance to endless medico-legal red tape, Sumit has traversed an arduous journey to reclaim his gender identity, and he has miles to go
April 9, 2024 | Ekta Sonawane
'Everyone accepts me the way I am'
Thulasi is from the Irular community and a member of the thirunangai community of trans gender people. A single parent, she supports herself with daily wage work, participating in temple rituals and passing on herbal remedies. On March 31, a story for International Day of Transgender Visibility
March 31, 2024 | Smitha Tumuluru
In Cuddalore harbour: the woman and the sea
A fish trader in Tamil Nadu, trans woman Maneesha auctions, loads, salts, dries and sells fish. Covid, followed by the initial ban on purse-seine nets almost sunk her business, but expensive private loans are keeping this entrepreneur afloat
November 22, 2023 | Nitya Rao
Everyday lives of queer people in rural India
In Pride month, PARI Library spotlights the voices and data around the queer community who live away from big metros and cities, and face social exclusion in their personal and professional lives
June 27, 2023 | PARI Library
In Dharmshala: marching with pride
Himachal Pradesh's Pride march advocated for the rights of the queer community, drawing many from villages and small towns in the state
June 7, 2023 | Sweta Daga
Unveiled: theatre of the trans community
Trans people rarely get a chance to perform theatre. On International Transgender Day of Visibility, held on March 31, a photo story on Sandakaranga – a play about the lives of the transgender community and their struggles against discrimination
March 31, 2023 | M. Palani Kumar
Love and a place of one’s own in a metropolis
A young woman and a trans man from rural Maharashtra tell their story of love that is marked by strife and struggle for social acceptance, justice, a sense of identity and a future together
January 4, 2023 | Aakanksha
‘I never got the chance to play for India again’
West Bengal's Boni Paul was stopped from playing international football due to his intersex variations. On April 22, National Intersex Human Rights Day, he speaks about his identity and recounts his struggles
April 22, 2022 | Riya Behl
Trans artists in Madurai: bullied, isolated, broke
Harassed, shunned by family, losing livelihoods – trans folk in Tamil Nadu are seeing the worst of times
July 29, 2021 | S. Senthalir
In Madurai: the trauma of trans folk artists
While the pandemic has devastated many folk artists across Tamil Nadu, trans women performers have been among the worst hit – with barely any work or income, and no access to aid or state benefits
July 27, 2021 | S. Senthalir
‘People stare at us as if we are evil spirits’
Transgender persons in Ichalkaranji town face discrimination everywhere – at home, in school, in housing, on the street. They struggle to be seen as ordinary people and to find work with some degree of dignity
August 8, 2018 | Minaj Latkar
Performing Ramkatha in a changed Ayodhya
During the Dussehra month, the ragtag Ramkatha Singing Party dashes off from stage to stage, before returning to their day jobs, even as the retelling of the epic is engulfed by contemporary politics
October 19, 2018 | Joydip Mitra
'Someday we will be accepted'
The Koovagam festival in Tamil Nadu, which ends on April 25 this year, draws many transgender persons. They come here to sing, dance, cry and pray – but mostly, to be themselves without fear of ostracism
April 23, 2018 | Ritayan Mukherjee
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