De-Identifying the Distressed in the Transgender Community Related to Their Identity Formation and Discrimination in India

Abstract

Transgender people in India hold a dualistic perspective on their identity. In one way, they are considered a disgraceful entity in society and, at the same time, they resemble the “Ardhanareswar” version of the Hindu God Shiva (Ardhanareswar version of Shiva: among Shiv’s many avatars, Ardhanareswar is the only one in which the god embodied both genders in a single amalgamation. That represented both the male and female gender). Also, they have been referred to as derogatory names, which are often used as slang for men who are “not man enough” and more resemble femininity. In the case of the trans women community, they are caught up in the binary status of gender, which completely ignores the third gender, and hence suffer along with the secondary status of womanhood in Indian society. In this perspective, there was and is gradual exclusion and discrimination against the trans women community. Gender identity and available occupational choice influence their occupational decision making. In this regard, the present study tries to explore the identity formation and discrimination faced by the transgender community in Sambalpur, Western Odisha. Furthermore, it tries to understand the construction of their identity through the theory of Othering. It also strives to look at the impact of discrimination on their personal, social, and health prospects in the community and evaluate the impact of the schemes implemented for them. The study is conducted among 45 trans women in the Sambalpur city in Western Odisha. Based on its prejudices, Indian society continues to create transgender identity. To give them proper recognition, government scheme assistance is insufficient at times, and people’s mindsets must be changed.