S. Senthalir

Reporting

M. Palani Kumar

Photographs

Sharmila Joshi

Editor

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The
first six months in a year are crucial for trans folk artists in Madurai
district. During this period, villages organise local festivals and temples
host cultural events. But during the
lockdowns, the restrictions on large public gatherings have severely impacted
the roughly 500 trans women artists in Tamil Nadu. 

Among them is Magie, and her two-room home in Vilangudi town, less than 10 kilometres from Madurai city, is a meeting
place and shelter for other trans women. Magie is among few trans women in the
district who perform the traditional kummi paatu songs to mark the sprouting of seeds after
sowing.
During the 10-day Mulaipari festival
celebrated in Tamil Nadu in July every year, this song is a prayer- offering to
the village goddesses for rain, soil fertility and a good harvest. 



Her
friends and co-workers all dance to these songs. It has for long been a source of
income for them. But with the pandemic-lockdowns, the festival was not held in
July 2020 and didn’t take place this month either <a>(See </a><a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/in-madurai-the-trauma-of-trans-folk-artists/">In
Madurai: the trauma of trans folk artists</a>). And their other regular source of income – collecting money from shops – in and around Madurai or even in Bengaluru, also came to a near-standstill. With it, their roughly Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 10,000 monthly income dropped to nearly nothing during the lockdowns.

K. Swesthika (left) is a
24-year-old kummi dancer-performer. Unable to tolerate the harassment she faced for being
a trans woman, she had to discontinue studying for a
BA degree – but still dreams of that education so that she might find a
job. She also collects money from shops to earn her livelihood – and that
activity and income too was hit by the lockdowns. 

Bavyasri (right), 25, has been unable to find a job despite
her BCom degree. She too is a kummi dancer-performer, and says she is happy only when
she is with other trans women. Though she wants to visit her family in Madurai,
she avoids going there because, she says, &quot;When I&#39;d go home, they would tell me to stay indoors. They would tell me not to talk to anyone outside the house.&quot;

R. Shifana (left) is a 23-year-old kummi dancer-performer who stopped going to college in
the second year because of the constant bullying she faced for being a trans
woman. She resumed only upon her mother’s insistence, and got a BCom degree. She was earning her livelihood by collecting money from
shops in Madurai until the lockdowns began in March 2020. 

V. Arasi (centre) is 34 and a kummi dancer-performer who holds a postgraduate degree in Tamil literature, as well as MPhil
and BEd degrees. Despite being bullied by her schoolmates, she focused on her
studies. She then applied at several places for a job, but remains unemployed. Before the lockdowns, she too had to resort to collecting money from the shops to be able to manage her expenses.

I. Shalini (right) is a 30-year-old kummi dancer-performer
who dropped out of high school in Class 11, unable to face the harassment any
more. She has been collecting money from shops and performing  for
the nearly 15, but since the lockdowns began, has been struggling to
manage. Shalini says she misses her mother and wishes she could stay with her, and adds, &quot;Before I die, I wish my father will talk to me at least once.&quot;This story is part of a series of 25 articles on livelihoods under lockdown, supported by the Business and Community Foundation.

Trans artists in Madurai: bullied, isolated, broke

వేధింపులు, బెదిరింపులు, ఒంటరితనంతో బాధపడుతున్న మదురైలోని ట్రాన్స్ కళాకారులు

મદુરાઇમાં કિન્નર કલાકારો: સતામણી, એકલતા, આર્થિક પાયમાલી

ഉപദ്രവങ്ങളും ഒറ്റപ്പെടുത്തലുകളും നേരിടുന്ന മധുരയിലെ ഭിന്നലിംഗ കലാകാര്‍

ମଦୁରାଇର କିନ୍ନର କଳାକାର : ଶୋଷିତ, ନିଃସଙ୍ଗ, ଅସହାୟ

ਮਦੁਰਾਈ ਦੇ ਟ੍ਰਾਂਸ ਕਲਾਕਾਰ: ਧੱਕੇਸ਼ਾਹੀ, ਇਕਲਾਪੇ ਅਤੇ ਤੰਗੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ਼ ਜੂਝਦੇ ਹੋਏ

ಮಧುರೈ: ಶೋಷಣೆ, ಒಂಟಿತನ ಮತ್ತು ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಬಿಕ್ಕಟ್ಟಿನ ನಡುವೆ ನಲುಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಟ್ರಾನ್ಸ್ ಕಲಾವಿದರು

मदुरैच्या तृतीयपंथी कलावंत: शोषित, एकाकी, कफल्लक

মাদুৰাইৰ ৰূপান্তৰিত শিল্পী: নিপীড়িত, নিঃসংগ আৰু সম্বলহীন

مدورئی کے ٹرانس آرٹسٹ: ظلم و ستم، تنہائی، اور مالی تنگی

मदुरई के ट्रांस आर्टिस्ट: शोषण, अकेलापन, और आर्थिक तंगी

கொடுமைக்குள்ளாகி தனிமையில் தவிக்கும் மதுரையின் திருநங்கை கலைஞர்கள்

নিরন্ন, একঘরে আর হেনস্থার একশেষ মাদুরাইয়ের রূপান্তরকামী লোকশিল্পীরা

Madurai

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Trans artists in Madurai: bullied, isolated, broke

Harassed, shunned by family, losing livelihoods – trans folk in Tamil Nadu are seeing the worst of times

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