How do you perceive a community’s standing in society? Is it by how they are represented? Or is it based on, say, how the Indian Constitution treats them in relation to another, more influential, community? How about something more basic and rudimentary? Like, access to safer public spaces or even police officials as and when needed.
There is no denying that societal marginalisation limits the access to opportunities and perpetuates discrimination.
Look at something as simple as voting rights. If you are a citizen of India, you get the right to vote. Sure, there are exceptions, but there is every chance that for the majority, voting is no longer even a right but a duty. Take this August 2023 report, which points out that there are over 1.76 crore voters in Assam. And how many of those voters are transpersons? We do not know, because the report does not mention the same. But EastMojo’s documentary, just before the 2021 elections, showed that less than 500 members of the trans community could vote in Assam in 2021.
Are leaders lending an ear to anyone who is not part of the ‘vote bank’? Do policymakers care to take you into consideration when creating new policies and amending bills? Is the police making you feel safe?
Transpersons were attacked recently in various parts of Assam but not many protested. A week passed. There is still a general nonchalance.
However, the incidents have instilled fear and anxiety, leaving many trans individuals feeling vulnerable to harassment, especially since the perpetrators are both self-appointed vigilantes and figures of authority.
‘Never a safe day in our existence’
Rituparna Neog, educator and prominent trans activist, is the founder and director of Akam Foundation, a gender justice group. Her efforts have been instrumental in creating trans-friendly safe spaces such as gender-neutral toilets at various universities.
Through social media posts, Rituparna recently highlighted the grim narrative of fake and real transpersons. Speaking to EastMojo, Rituparna shared, “Last week, we witnessed three incidents. One occurred at Bongaigaon Railway Station, where railway police (RPF) personnel arrested transpersons and subjected them to genital examinations to verify their gender. That is unlawful. It is a violation of bodily autonomy.”
“In another recent incident near Khanapara in Guwahati, commuters paused, harassed a transgender person on the street, and attempted to pull down her clothes to verify if she was a real or fake transgender person,” she continued.
Legal provisions mandate that a transgender person will self-identify. Self-perceived transgender identity is a crucial provision of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2020, which were enacted to protect and empower individuals who self-identify as transgender, reaffirming their right to live authentically.
“Recently, between Azara and Kamakhya Railway Station, the RPF arrested three persons who identify as transgender. One of them was detained by RPF personnel with questions like ‘Are you real or a fake transgender?’ We needed to go and rescue them. We can feel attacks going on against transgender persons. We don’t ask cis men and women if they are real or fake right? Likewise, they cannot question a trans person about their gender identity.”
Despite initiatives by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to issue nationally recognised transgender certificates and identity cards to avail welfare schemes, the frequency of forced genital examinations on transgender persons remains a stark reminder of the challenges they face. Even before the application process for an identity card is completed, a transgender individual could find themselves at risk of a violation of the autonomy over their own body.
“If you say you are a transgender person, you are asked to verify it by showing your genitalia,” confirms Pixie, a passionate advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and a dedicated member of the Drishti queer collective. A commerce student at Guwahati’s KC Das College, Pixie identifies as a non-binary individual. In the face of persistent misconceptions surrounding queer identities, they challenge stereotypes. They address the common misconception that transgender identity can be verified solely through genitalia examination, explaining that not all transgender individuals are intersex, though all intersex people are transgender.
When asked if they have been targeted for their gender identity, they said, “On a day-to-day basis, there is always discrimination. The sense of being alienated is always there. Mostly, people think a trans person is violent. If you look like a cisgender person, people will accept you. But if you look androgynous, they get curious. They try to study you, sometimes physically also. They try to touch you, feel you and verify.”
They further said, “People in power have been misusing power to bully the trans community for a long time. A few months ago, one of my friends was walking in the evening and a man in uniform followed them and asked them questions. That friend was non-binary, born male but wearing feminine clothing. Just because they were transgender, the same man came back in a car and started stalking them until they ran away.”
According to Pixie, one’s gender identity is valid regardless of whether they choose to undergo any medical transition. They stress that acknowledging this is essential in dispelling misconceptions surrounding gender diversity, and that communicating with the queer community, getting to know about their struggles and spreading awareness also helps.
Pixie’s observations find support in Sumit Ghosh, a queer student from Tezpur who attends Dispur College in Guwahati and has taught children in a rural private school. Sumit, who identifies as a transwoman, said, “Before the train incidents happened, I told my friend from Delhi that Guwahati, unlike rural areas, is an amazing place for me as a queer person. People did not give me a side-eye in this city. I assumed that maybe Guwahati is nice for queer people but these reports of attacks have just horrified me.”
“For three days, I have not left my room. I haven’t even stepped out for a cigarette,” said Sumit.
Exposing the deep-rooted concerns gripping the transgender community, Sumit further said, “I feel so attacked by the recent train incident. It has shocked me. The entire narrative of real and fake transgender is so dirty. Look, I identify as non-binary, but I haven’t undergone sex reassignment yet. My body still appears male.” She continued in a voice tinged with disappointment, “I was selected for a workshop and I was supposed to travel to Lucknow on September 27. To travel in a train where incidents like these happen, when apart from the queer community and a few aware individuals nobody gives a f***, for me this is something to worry about a hundred times. I cancelled the trip.”
When asked if she feels attacked, she shared, “Oh I have faced a lot of online harassment, it’s a daily thing. Cisgender men randomly send obscene photos and when I deny them, they use bad words. These attacks compelled me to change my Instagram account from public to private.” A victim of bullying and abuse since childhood, Sumit has been ignoring the harassers by deleting and blocking them. It is only recently that she came out in front of her family as queer. “I lived in a rural set-up. Since class 2, I have experienced abuse,” she shared.
Sumit, associated with the queer group Xobdo, is a medical college aspirant and advocates for transgender reservation in colleges. She said, “I got selected in multiple colleges but I chose Dispur College because it has trans reservations.”
When asked if more colleges should adopt trans reservation, she replied, “I am so hopeful about that. I demand trans reservation in Guwahati Medical College, in other medical colleges, engineering colleges, and law colleges. With my gender dysphoria and financial issues, I am in need of a trans reservation. Like me, there are so many people who have potential and they need support as well.”
The never-ending online abuse
Replying to a question about the kinds of attacks on transgender individuals, Rituparna asserted that the harassment ranges from cyberbullying to verbal abuse and physical harassment. Stating that attacks on transpersons have been going on from time to time, she added, “There are two ways this is happening. One is in your face and the other online.”
Rituparna often shares screenshots of extremely abusive comments from random people. Visibility and acknowledgement of an issue are required to start the process of resolving it, according to her.
She recalled a particularly distressing incident when she was harassed online simply for celebrating her love for Assamese culture through dance. “In a video post I made, I was dancing Bihu. I know I was dancing beautifully. I love Assamese culture and Bihu like any other Axomiya person. But just because I identify as trans, I received moral policing and hateful speech,” she said.
When asked how she navigates through this sea of hostility, she responded with quiet strength, “I used to ignore them and block them but they return with fake accounts. A few months back, there was somebody who harassed me through DMs, using a username that starts with the word ‘daddy’ and I blocked (them). But every other week, he would come back and do the same thing, using a similar pseudonym. I went to Panbazar police station to complain but did not file an FIR back then as I needed to know certain procedures.”
Recently, taking a stand against cyberbullies, Rituparna filed an FIR at Dibrugarh police station on a man for consistent attacks, hoping that the police would take necessary action. She said, “One of them very recently entered my DMs and used really bad language, without any reason. He attacked me on Instagram. I have to see how the police will respond.”
Rituparna Neog, who recently became the Associate Vice Chairperson, Assam State Transgender Welfare Board, listed her top three priorities – safety and security of transgender persons, identity cards and other entitlements, education and healthcare as her top three priorities.
“We have to work together with the police department to ensure that queer persons feel safe wherever they are. Issues of transgender livelihood and housing also need to be addressed, at the government policy level. Apart from sensitisation about gender diversity and social acceptance, I ask for affordable gender affirmation therapy, including surgery, aided by Government policies,” she said.
‘Gen-Z spreading hatred even more’
Gautam, a dedicated LGBTQ advocate, attributes their introduction to activism to Milin Dutta, their mentor. About a year ago, Dutta provided invaluable support to Gautam and their family during a challenging period in their life.
This experience ignited their passion for advocacy, especially in representing and speaking up for the LGBTQIA+ community.
In explaining how to address attacks on the community and promote inclusivity, Gautam stated, “We collaborated with several schools, organised awareness programmes, and addressed various issues. It all began with my own school, ‘South Point School.’ As an activist and a student, I’m proud to say that my school is exceptionally inclusive. Other schools and colleges we visited also showed enthusiasm for creating an inclusive environment.”
They mentioned that they have rescued victims of transphobia throughout Guwahati and believes that those who oppress minority groups should seek their own liberation, as they are constrained by a closed-minded perspective. Brimming with positivity, they added, “However, things are changing, and people are coming forward to build a society that celebrates diversity.”
Transgender individuals are in agreement that an increasing number of younger people are becoming hostile towards their community. Gautam explains, “Most of them are adolescents, which is heart-breaking. As members of Gen-Z, we expected better. I blame our society for this. Toxicity is instilled in young children by inadequate parents. Let them interact with all kinds of people. Let children grow up alongside our children. That’s when things will change.”
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“Ultimately, it all comes down to patriarchy; if a boy exhibits even a slight hint of femininity, it’s deemed shameful. When I was a child, my friends were told not to associate with me because I was very feminine. That’s how it starts, it gets ingrained. Initially, a child is like a ‘Tabula Rasa,’ a blank slate. It’s the parent’s responsibility to instill good values and teach them to love everyone, regardless of their differences. Love and compassion come more naturally to the human heart than hatred, so it’s crucial to teach young minds to love rather than hate each other,” Gautam asserts.
Also Read | Why are we so hypocritical about freedom of expression?
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I have a few questions and hope someone can answer me. Does Assam not a history of transgenderism like the heartland? Also, what are the views of Naga, and other tribes on Transgenderism. Does North east have a history of Transgenderism? How has this transformed since the introduction of European missionaries?