Transgendered People Traveling in India: What to Expect?

CindyIndie

Anna,

Keep posting. Whatever it is that got under your skin, let it go. You're made of tough stuff, or you wouldn't have come through the fire and trials that have brought you to who you are today.

I saw this on a t-shirt once, "illegitimus non carborundum".
If only I had bought the shirt at the time, I've never seen it since.

Let us know how your trip goes! I want to know and so do a heap of other IM'ers.

Take it easy,
Cindy

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My photography, travel tales in India & the UK and living in Alaska: http://cstimson.byethost18.com/

anna paradox

Thanks for the posts. I can't remember learning anything about "illegitimus non carborundum" in Latin class but I googled it and laughed at the translation.

I've only got a couple more weeks before I leave for India (via the Middle East). I'm pretty much relaxed about it now. I met some Indian people in the city where I live and we discussed the whole hijra thing and they said i'm not a hijra but just a "normal woman" (if that exists) so don't think i've got anything to worry about.

I just have to get my vaccinations on Friday (Hep A and DTP) - I already have stamps for typhoid and yellow fever - i'm not going to bother with malaria as the tropics medical center in the country where I live say north west India is low risk (just cover up and use DEET and mosquito net at night). After the vaccinations I just have to buy EURO travellers cheques (I don't want to carry plastic around) and i'm all set!!

I got my India tourist visa with no problems - my photo and real life are presented as female even though i'm still stated as "male" in my passport. When I bought my plane ticket the woman noticed my documentation and told me that the immigration etc never bother about gender details like that.

Concerning security when I went to Hong Kong they used a sort of hand held metal detector to scan before leaving/boarding so I hope the same will apply when leaving Indira Gandhi airport (as my boyfriend will get furious if a male guard frisks me). Oh how my life isn't black or white but just somewhere in the grey void!

I'll keep everyone (and especially other trans people) updated on my India experience here on IM so that this issue can be finalized.

namaste_cat

Anna, when you go through security, there are usually separate areas for men and women. So just go through the sign saying women or ladies or whatever it says, and that way you and your boyfriend don't have to worry about male guards as a woman will pat you down behind a curtained booth. After that she will stamp your passport. Never had one do anything but stamp it on the page they need to, no one has looked at any gender details.

Anyway, sounds like you're all geared up for your trip, and good to go Have fun, and check in during/afterwards if you would.

Haylo

They stamp your boarding pass, not your passport, but you're right about how closely they check the passport details. I've flown out of Indira Ghandi airport eight times now, and they've only ever glanced quickly at the name / photo on the passport, presumably to check it's your passport and that it matches the name on the boarding pass.

Anna, they do check passports and visas very carefully on entry to India, but as your passport photograph will match your appearance, gender is less likely to be an issue. Fingers crossed!

As your boyfriend is so possessive, you'll be pleased to know that there are a few other "tourist" situations where you will be separated by gender. Usually, it's where you have to go through a physical security check, for instance if you visit the Taj Mahal, you will have to queue separately and go through separate security lines. This may unfortunately mean that you have an hour's wait for him to clear the male line, the women's queue can be far shorter!

Indian women in general would not be at all tolerant of a man "patting them down", there's just no way they'd allow that, so arrangements are made accordingly. If you behave and dress like a respectable person, which I'm sure you will, you will be treated with the same respect yourself.

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namaste_cat

Yes of course that's what I meant. Duh, fast fingers! Somewhat along the same lines, I assume you mean Gandhi, not Ghandi

nycank

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Haylo

Oops, silly me!

teddycook

Hello Anna and IM!
I'm transgendered too, female to male though. I'm coming to india in October for six months and hope to pass as a male. I'm not yet taking hormones (testosterone) and will be binding my chest as I'm still in early transition but I hope to still pass.

Thank you so much for your questions Anna! I feel much more at peace about my trip too!

Teddy

Paleface

Freindly like.. But Pass what though.. A personal test? - Which is what this is really at the core if we were to go there. I empathise with your concerns but India really is used to all the psychologies and physiognomies, and this from a few thousand years, in fact there is a lot to glean from the history and examples of many well known figures as well, these three off the cuff, illustrate male to female.

Sakhi bhav, is a well known and reasonably prevalent path of worship, where men dress and behave as consorts of Krishna, we're talking straight guys as well, but it's too long to detail here. Shankaracharya took the body of a woman in order to conclude a debate where he was accused of knowing nothing of female love and sex. He was nearly trapped permanently there. Sri Ramakrishna also became female, so much so that he was able to live intimately with women of the household who perceived him as female, others that knew him did not recognise him, so perfect was his bhav. Ultimately whatever the concern may be, it is not about India, but lies within.. it's more a matter of confidence.

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Only a mediocre person is always at his best. Somerset Maugham.

Haylo

No, in this context, pass means being able to pass as a male. In other words to be able to live, be accepted and be known as a male, rather than being regarded erroneously as a female who choses to dress like a male.

Teddycook, welcome to IndiaMike! As you'll be binding your chest, you are absolutely coming at the right time of year, that would be unbearable in the heat of summer.

I'm sure you'll find all manner of interesting information on here.

Paleface

I did get that! But sensed some indecisiveness in the inquiry. I mean one is or isn't what one chooses to be, and in so choosing becomes... What that has to do with other's acceptance, i find difficult in accepting. Rather like living at other's options, rather than in one's own choice. Usually if one is confident and happy with the choice everything will fall into place, but maybe i'm wrong about the confidence of one's convictions dissolves doubts in other's minds...

Haylo

I am sure you are right about confidence helping a lot.

Partly though, it depends on the starting point of the appearance of the person. For instance, no matter how confident I was or how I dressed, there is no possible way that with my height (lack thereof) and hips (excess thereof) I would ever pass as a male in a million years

Paleface

Probably diplomatic to make no comment - bed time.

Haylo

Teddycook, if that photo is typical of your appearance you'll be fine. Do be aware that you will be stared at, so don't let it freak you out. Every foreigner is stared at a lot, especially outside the usual tourist areas, but remember that it's not considered particularly rude by a lot of people, and that it means nothing more than what it is, which is innocent curiosity.

haydn

so many interesting and insightful comments. good luck anna and ted... maybe you'll share your experiences if you feel like.
india is pretty straightfoward (in a wonderfully muddled way of course!) and a stare is a stare is a stare. people are pretty direct (unless they're not)
as they say, "anything is possible madam/sir!"
to be a wealthy firangi passing through is to be in such a safety bubble from the harsher realities of exploitation, oppression and cruelty that exist in india (as they do almost everywhere).
for a good read anna, look out for 'Aidsutra'. a collection of stories from the frontline. heartwrenching and transcendant.
shanthi