Transgendered People Traveling in India: What to Expect?

The main thing in india on social issues is not to make people around you uncomfortable.

Issues like homosexuality, transgender, even infidelity are all ignored in social contexts unless they become so in-your-face that everyone can't pretend otherwise. Hypocrisy may be, but it lets everyone live together in relative peace. Forming an open consensus in a country like india is impossible.

As Anna discovered, transgender is not something people may enjoy discussing in open, but if you pick a gender and stick to it in your manner of dressing and behavior, people will accept it rather than cause discomfort for everyone by probing.

There are also many religious references to transgender, the most powerful one being the 'Ardhanariswara' - A half male and half female form which is the union of Shiva and Parvati.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanari

In another story Vishnu becomes a woman to lure an evil Asura to his death, and later Shiva falls in love with Vishnu and (IIRC) even has a child with 'her'!.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohini

Hindu mythology is not for the faint hearted!!!!

Thanks for the feedback Baadzilla. I read the wiki pages you linked and found them fascinating.

I would like to add that if you are in India with Gender Issues (Gender Dysphoria) you can contact:

Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science & Research
B-16, Qutab Institutional Area,
New Delhi - 110016
INDIA
Ph.: +91-11-4211-1111
Fax: +91-11-2653-3027

http://www.sitarambhartia.org/default.asp

UROLOGY: - Dr. (Col) S. V. Kotwal, M.S, M.Ch
Consultant- Urologist and Surgeon

PSYCHIATRISTS:
Dr Amit Sen : Senior Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr Kavita Arora : Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST:
Mrs Shelja Sen : Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Family Therapist

ENDOCRINE SPECIALIST:
Dr A S Lata : Consultant Endocrinologist
Dr Pramila Kalra : Consultant Endocrinologist


I have read their protocol which is exactly the same as in Europe - assessment, psychotherapy, hormone therapy and eventually (GRS) Gender Reassignment Surgery. The surgeons offer One stage reconstruction which is even more advanced than many parts of Europe! One differance is that in India you need to see both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist while in Europe you only have to see the latter. The Sitaram Bhartia Institute state that they are the only place in India which offers GRS following the WPATH Standards of Care (SOC). I'm actually surprised that other doctors in India haven't caught on about GRS which is a very lucrative business globally.

At the Sitaram Bhartia Institute 9 clients have undergone surgical procedures until now out of which 3 have been male to female , 1 complete female to male , and the rest are in various stages of surgical procedures.

I have done some research, surgery for transgender people in India can vary from an orchiectomy (rs. 6000) to the surgery performed by the Sitaram Bhartia Institute for roughly Rs.2 lakh.

If you do have any issues concerning Gender Dysphoria then please contact me, you are not alone.

Anna

I remeber that story from a couple of yrs ago & always wondered what happened to the "Goddess!" Do you have a link to that story?? KK

nah, i've looked around the internet for information about her but she seems just to have dissappeared...

watch this news article from Chennai.... India is far more advanced concerning gender issues than many people think ... I LOVE INDIA !!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZggHx...ayer_embedded#

I've found it! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6546479.stm

American, very gentle, long black hair, immaculate white sari, startling blue eyes (or were they those coloured things you can put in your eyes?) I met that lady a few times in Vrindavan and was mesmersisssssed. Somebody different i think KK but i believe there was also some docco, and she went on to do good work elsewhere, maybe Bengal, i recall being told.

That's really quite a story and it seems a wonderful positive outcome for all involved there locally.

excellent link kullukid !! i tried to track her across the net yesterday but there is no real information about where she is now

I'm new here but I just noticed this thread and thought I could recommend something to read:
"Conundrum" by Jan Morris - She writes about travel to India pre- and post-op.