Transgendered People Traveling in India: What to Expect?

Thanks for your wise words capt mahajan !

I too tend to agree with the Captain on this one! As has been pointed out, all foreigners tend to stand out in India, and you will be absolutely no exception. You state that back at home you are sometimes 'recognised', however I actually think this will happen less in India. In my opinion, provided you don't proclaim it, very few people will consider you to be anything but 'yet another foreign woman'! ... and there's plenty of bizarre-looking (to them) females who travel around India

I think a lot of normal people in India, just accept the fact that forigners look and behave a bit different from themselves in any case. Over time, Indians are getting used to the foreign women (and men) who travel around India whose sense of dress, style, behaviour etc. is so very different from their own. I am firmly convinced you will be regarded as just another one of these.

Welcome to IndiaMike. It will be interesting to hear about your experiences in India, but it's important to note that India pushes your boundaries no matter who you are. In other words, you need to bring twice as much open-mindedness as you hope to get.

You say you don't like being the center of attention, and I have to say, whoo boy are you in for an adventure. You WILL be the center of attention most of the time, anywhere you go in public. Some people will stare, some people will ask you personal questions, some people will try to trick you, some people will act like they've just met a rock star. And I think the funny ambiguity in your case is, unless it's made explicit, you'll never be sure whether it's because you're transgendered, or because you're a foreigner.

I think of something that happened when I was waiting in a crowd for tickets at a train station in Delhi. Two young men sitting on a bench were staring at me. They were speaking to each other in Hindi and laughing. I noticed them, and they kept staring--it's not like in America where if you catch someone staring, they look away a little sheepishly. They kept staring. After a while, one came over to me and asked me if I was going to Gaya. As it happened, I was. He said that his friend was from Gaya, and that's why they thought it was funny.

I have no idea why I might have looked like someone who was going to Gaya. To this day I wonder if they were actually joking that I was gay, making a little pun.

I don't think you have to worry about violence any more than you would in a Western city, or any more than any female tourist--just stay smart, pay attention, get out of a situation if it seems dangerous. But keep an open mind. And let us know how it goes.

TG also covers a LOT more scenarios than someone living as a woman who is M to F post op, it also covers crossdressers for instance, who would have a very different reception. Your photo, if that is you and not just an image you like (which is fine on here, I'm not a really hen with a strap on cock's tail) is a look that I associate more with crossdressers than those I know who live post op as women, who on the whole look pretty "ordinary" and who would be unlikely to be viewed any differently in India than all the other odd looking (in their eyes) foreigners who come to their country.

At the time of my post you had not explained anything other than you identify yourself as transgendered. As I said, without further information, which you have since given, it would not be possible for anyone to give meaningful advice.

Far from being closed minded, my reaction was due to respect for TG friends; this was not a discussion I was prepared to take part in until I was sure that you were genuine. It now appears that you are, and if I caused offence by being wary, please accept my apologies.

Internet forums such as this attract posters known as "trolls", who ask provocative questions, to stir up heated discussions and they are neither tolerated or encouraged.



On the contrary, I am very aware of hijras (they're hard to miss!) and the issues behind TG issues in India. However, I do not think that bringing hijras into this discussion would be either relevant, healthy or helpful to the OP. Oh, and it's hijra actually...

Anna, are you interested in mixing with hijras? It could be interesting for you, but learning more about their situation could also be distressing and I don't get any sense from your posts so far that you were looking for contact with the TG scene, just advice about your safety and people's reactions.

When you have been a member for a while longer, you will be able to send and receive messages from other members, at which point feel free to contact me.

Just to be clear, not all transgendered people in India are hijras -- and hijras as a community lead pretty rough lives, with ostracism, poverty, prostitution, and HIV/AIDS among their concerns. There are hijra communities in the big cities. Hijras are at best tolerated, at worst grievously exploited.

I agree with the folks above about the need for discretion generally. But there are plenty of places in India now, especially in big cities, with alternative, artsy scenes like any other major city in the world, where being transgendered won't raise an eyebrow.

Transgenders are called Hijras or Eunuchs in India. While Hijras are considered to be auspicios at births and weddings, they are also looked upon by with suspicion. There are some serious preconceived notions that most locales carry about them. However, this should not deter you from making your trip. My advise would be to stay discreet and keep your personal information personal. For those with a curious eye will remain curious about you for a variety of reasons. Best would be to keep them guessing and wondering.

Anna, I think Capt M is right on the money. Not referring to people on IM but in general I've found Indians to be in total denial of various issues related to gender. It's a very repressed puritannical society, and things are slowly changing but not that much.

This article is a pretty good assessment at least based on my observations from spending close to 1/2 my life in India.
India's transgendered - the Hijras
They are treated very poorly pretty much on all fronts incl being deprived of some very basic human rights.

Things are quite rough out there for hijras, so I'm not sure Indian people you might encounter would quite know how to treat a non-Indian transgendered person. As a foreigner, you'd be enough of a novelty, so keeping as low a profile as possible is best.

That said, do go, not trying to scare you or anything...but do be prepared for a lot of ignorance. It's a diff kind of ignorance than one sees in the U.S. For example what I see as an Asst Principal at my school, where I've become a de facto counselor of sorts. I currently have 3 students all of whom went through gender reassignment surgery as newborns, and are really struggling with various issues. I'm no expert but I'm trying my best to help them since their parents have pretty much told them to suck it up and live as girls/boys.

Anyway, without belaboring the point, let me just say most Indians simply do not deal with things that are out of the ordinary very well. One of the reasons hijras come to see newborns is so the parents can dispose of an unwated child this way. There's just too much there to get into, but google "hijras in India" and variants of that phrase before you go ok just so you can get a sense of how you might be perceived.

Kitty: I read the article...while it may have depicted the way Hijras are somewhat treated/looked at, I don't believe Anna should feel even an iota of fear with regards to her travel to India. The social taboos in India are mostly restricted to other Indians. Most Indians realize that the foreigners are different and have a different code for their conduct. As long as the foreigner does not interfere in the Indians day to day living or the Indians approach to other Indians, they should be okay. But, yes, the regular stares out of curiosity, etc. is a different thing. (If you have been to Goa in India, I'm sure you have spotted many foreigners in their 2 piece swimsuits.)

India's transgendered community is cloistered, close-knit and closed to outsiders. They live together in communes and have their own traditions. They do not mix with the society at large.

Ah, staring; I should have mentioned that.

It helps a lot to realise that whether they're black or white, male or female, young or old, gorgeous or ugly, ALL westerners get stared at in India. It's because people are curious, it's no more sinister than that.

Please don't fall into the trap of feeling that it is personal, I know some people feel extremely self conscious and uncomfortable with it, but it's not meant to be hostile. Staring simply isn't considered rude by many Indians, particularly in the poorer sections of society.

It could be rather unnerving for someone who is already nervous about people's reactions, but I've always found that if you smile, the person staring at you will give you a big warm smile back.

rubberband21 you could be right about it being an Indian on Indian thing though the fact that Anna's friend had people wanting to bless their babies makes me wonder if Indian people would know how to treat a non-Indian transgendered person. There might be some assumptions made..

Just saying Anna should be prepared for not just some genuinely curious staring w/ no malice (which many of us deal w/) but also possible hostility (not physical) from the lack of understanding.

I've often met hijras on the train going from Kolkata to Puri. Being from San Francisco and already learned not to be shocked by such things, I've always greeted them with a big smile (especially the gal in the lovely purple saree last year - she was spectacular!) and they've always smiled and waved as they passed through the cars. Nothing to worry about.

You can receive PMs after you've posted a few more messages, so post away, Anna, and welcome to IndiaMike!

Hey everyone,

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm defintely going to keep IM updated with posts from India and the reactions I get when I'm there. Not only will it answer the "foreign transgenders in India" question but may help others in the same situation as me who are travelling there.

Thirdreel, my idea of "going to Gaya" sounds like a private Indian joke or some sort of code word that men (hoping to meet other men) might use at that Delhi trainstation. Some (hetrosexual male) friends have mentioned to me in the past about being approached by men (not in India though and notoriously at train stations)so I wouldn't bother about it.

Haylo, in my original message I didn't want to go into variations of trans because I was worried (since it was my first post on IM) that I might get a hostile reaction and also because I (wrongly) assumed alot of people wouldn't understand the terms "MtF Postop TS" so I wanted to keep it as general as possible. I also wanted to avoid this thread turning into "what is a transgender?" as it is about foreign transgender in India, the general Indian perceptions towards transgender and safety issues that could arise. Yes, it is me in my profile photo - I added a photo as I thought personally it was better than having a drawing or cartoon. I think it funny that you see me as a crossdresser, a friend had brought me surma (kohl) back from his trip to Pakistan which I attempted to apply correctly in that photo. I'm not involved in the transgender community where I live, I don't even have another transgender friend although I know of some so I don't really want to mix with hijra when i'm in India - I just want to blend into society there as I mentioned. I took time to write in my profile and if you read it (and read between the lines) you'll see i'm not the type of person looking to stir up heated discussions.

namaste cat, I really loved the article you added from The New Statesman. It seems that acceptance of transgendered people in India is evolving. I know for sure that the negative image that hijra have won't ever fade in my lifetime but it is a start. I'd like to get that crisis 24/7 telephone number that some hijra use (just in case). The other thing that you mentioned was being asked to bless people (which was an original query of mine). Even though I don't know what I should do in that situation I will do my best as I don't want to be insulting or disrespectful to anyone.

Thanks everyone for your reactions. IndiaMike is very cool!!

Anna

Having spent some time with the Hijra population in Mumbai, I'd say that they are definitely *not* transgendered in the western sense. As some posters have correctly remarked, Hijras are considered societal outcasts though tolerated.

There is very small and growing GLBT community in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata. http://www.humsafar.org/ and http://www.bombaydost.co.in/ are two organisations I know of, but there are plenty others.

The average joe (or ravi) here won't know how to deal with a transgendered caucasian foreign woman so tread carefully if you take the decision to reveal what you're about to anyone. Just note that you might be slotted in the Hijra+western woman stereotype mix.

Having said that, it is very unlikely you will be subjected to hate or violence here.

Stay safe, have lots of fun in India!

Hi anna,

I don't think you will have much trouble in India, at least no more so than any foreigner would. I am going to India in the not too distant future myself, and although I don't really enjoy being the center of attention here in the states, I do look forward to sticking out in a completely different culture. I can't wait to let the experience of meeting so many different types of people from so many different backgrounds. I think the experience, on many levels, will be invigorating.

Also, based on the picture you've provided for your avatar, you look quite passable. Honestly, had you not said that you are transgendered, I would have never guessed. My guess is that you will encounter all the difficulties that any female would. Like someone else stated, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between being hassled because you are foreigner or TG. My advice to you would be not to think about it. If you dwell on it, then it will seem that everyone is hassling you because of it.

I read the Introductory article in the "India for Beginners" section of the forums and it says to prepare for a rude welcome. Keep that in mind, but also let the plethora of cultures and experiences you've never had invigorate and refresh you. Prepare for a complete sensory experience.

Also keep in mind that India is a far cry away from the United States. The whole gay/transgendered issue, is, in my mind, exploited, perpetuated, and demonized by the media and the government of the states. Not that you won't run in to some less than open-minded individuals there, but I doubt you will run into such hatred and misunderstanding that you may or may not have received in the U.S.

Hope this helps,
-Jay