Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
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| Indian transsexual brides go online | ||||||
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The transsexuals in India have gone high-tech in search of their soul mates by creating their own website. The site, a brainchild of Kalki, a well-educated transsexual-turned-social activist from Tamilnadu, is aimed at finding life partners for more than 20,000 transsexuals living in discrimination and extreme poverty in India. Relating her friend's bad experience in finding possible suitors, Kalki adds, "I?ve decided to launch this website after two of my friends were rejected by other online matrimonial sites just because they are transgendered." She claims lot of men are interested in transsexuals, but are too afraid to commit. "Men are attracted to transsexuals and fall in love with us as much as they are attracted to biological women," Kalki says in the site www.thirunangai.net. "In many ways, we are no different from biological women. In fact, we celebrate the women in us more than biological women do." "It's just that we can't have biological children. But we can always adopt." In order to protect their members, Kalki and her cohorts have set stringent selection process for their potential grooms. "We?re looking for men who believe in equality; men who respect us and are not ashamed to introduce us to their family as their girlfriend or their wife," she concludes. | ||||||
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Miss India Transgender Contest
The country’s first-ever Miss India Transgender contest — at the city’s Hotel Vijay Park — also saw candidates vying for titles for the most beautiful hair, eyes, skin and walk.
A relatively short Mumbaikar in her 20s won the Miss India title. Kareena Shalini, dressed in a pink sleeve-less gown, didn’t blink one second when she replied in Hindi to a crucial question from the jury of tele-serial artistes and transgender contestants from earlier regional-level shows. “I’ll not only protect the person, but would also ensure she got out of the trouble,” the wheatish-complexioned transgender said in a deep-throated voice, when asked if she would give refuge to a transgender who is a murderer.
The runner-up, Mani pur’s Thokcho Rockyson Romi, spoke in English, while the second runner-up Padmini, was a Tamil with a bigger build and almost in her 30s. The thrill at the tastefully lit up basement was palpable as 800-odd trans-genders, largely led by various NGOs, gathered to cheer the candidates in a bid to boost the entire community’s self-esteem.
Most contestants at the event, organised by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation with the support from TANSACS, UNAIDS and ACTIONAID, aired views about uplift, fighting for their rights, job opportunities and prospects of gaining power.
Many at the gathering, as ICWO’s A J Hariharan too agreed, felt this pageantry would go a long way in fighting the stigma they faced in society.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
complicated love story | ||||||
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Swathi and Sneha were men who became women in the hope of finding male lovers. They've now found each other and want to marry
Love happened three years ago while they worked as community mobilisers with an NGO called Samara. Hard life Each of them earns Rs 4,000 a month from Samara. They also earn a bit from prostitution. Besides economic stability, they are also struggling on the personal front since they can't marry legally. "We live a painful life," said Swathi. "We don't earn enough as we aren't treated like other women." Swathi and Sneha don't get good job offers. "That's why we have no choice but to be in the sex trade. If we were treated like normal women, we wouldn't be in that profession," Swathi explained. Activists fighting for the sexual minorities are coming forward to help the couple. "They deserve equal rights," said Akkaipad-mashali, an activist. "Though the Delhi High Court decision is welcome, we have a long way to go." He said he would take up their case as "there are hundreds of Swathis and Snehas fighting for their rights to marry and adopt children." The agony of bending gender Transsexuals go through tremendous psychological pressure both before and after their sex change, say doctors. "They are under pressure as they feel trapped in a body they don't want," said Dr Padmini Prasad, a leading Bangalore sexologist. "Hence, there are procedures to be followed before they undergo surgery. Psychiatric assessment is one of them." They are also tested for the new gender role. "In a few cases like this, they are in conflict both before and after the change," said Padmini. | ||||||
Transsexual — Qualified for Beauty Contest or Not?
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Staff Reporter
Is sex by birth a qualification for a beauty pageant?
It appears not, as a male-turned-female transsexual has passed the preliminary stage of the 2009 Super Model Contest.
Choi Han-bit, 23, was among 50 participants selected from a list of 1,200 candidates at the preliminary stage of the contest on July 2. She still has to pass another preliminary on July 28 to be included in the final selection, but if she does, Choi will be Korea's first transsexual super model.
A dance major at the Korea National University of Arts, Choi underwent a sex change operation in 2006, and was legally recognized as a woman by a court. She also changed her name from Han-jin to Han-bit.
After grabbing the public's attention, she said on her blog, "This is only the beginning. I have not lived in a vain hope. I just believed that I can be happy and I can do it."
But cyber world is divided on Choi's selection in the preliminary.
Some Internet users, including several unsuccessful contestants at the preliminary, say that a person who has artificially changed sex should not be allowed in the beauty contest.
They claimed it is not right for a transsexual, who has obtained a female body artificially, to take part in the contest that evaluates appearance.
But many others supported Choi, saying she is just the same as other "real female" contestants who underwent plastic surgery. They left messages on her blog, saying, "You made a courageous choice," and "I saw a picture of you before having the sex change operation, and you were beautiful then as well."
SBS MediaNet, the host of the pageant, said the sex change does not conflict with the contest's rules because her legal sex is female.
It also said that Choi disclosed to other contestants that she is a transsexual.
In 2005, before undergoing the sex change operation, she appeared in a television show as a man who was disguised as a woman.
Monday, May 25, 2009
aturday, June 28, 2008 (Chennai) NDTV news.  Kalki is a highflying transgender IT professional. But her road to success wasn't easy. Her parents she says didn't accept her sexual orientation and forced her to take male hormone tablets. Away from home she was often a victim of sexual abuse. These factors only inspired her to dream big. Now the techie also runs a foundation for the betterment of transgenders. ''When you are successful people look up to you. When you are not its a totally different story,'' says Kalki. Rose is the country's first transgender television anchor and has won the hearts of millions. She was once thrown out of home. But that did not stop her from acquiring an international professional degree. Her new celebrity status she says is changing mindsets. ''That would never happen earlier in the past. People would not just talk to transgenders. But now they not only talk to me, they invite me home,'' says Rose. In another part of Chennai Priya Babu has emerged to be a successful author. She wants to develop a resource centre for the third gender. ''Education is my biggest strength and also the tamilnadu government has given us so many opportunities,'' says Priya Babu. Transgenders have begun to script success stories in Tamil Nadu. A majority of them are still pushed into prostitution but the more vocal ones in the community are spearheading a campaign to get a transgender nominated to the parliament, state assemblies and local bodies. **********About Kalki********** A post graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, Kalki came out to her parents as a Transgendered child when she was 14. Having gone through the usual nightmares all transgendred children go through, she had the toughest times in schools and colleges where she studied. Still, she managed to finish her B.A in English followed by an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication. Currently she is pursuing her second M.A. in International Relations. In schools, colleges and universities in India, Transgender students have a tough academic life. Many of them drop out being unable to cope with the insults, harassement and ignorance from fellow students and sometimes even the teachers. Kalki hopes to change this by presenting and conducting seminars, lectures, workshops, presentations and talks on Gender variant people in schools, colleges and Universities. She works and lives in 2 two places. Coimbatore in Tamilnadu, and Auroville, the international township near Puducherry. In the year 2001, she brought out the first tamil magazine for the trasngendred community called 'Sahodari' and encouraged fellow sisters to write and express their thoughts. Several issues later, the magazine had to be temporarily stopped due to lack of financial support. In the year 2006, she found Sahodari Foundation through which she hopes to bring the magazine once again. Only knowledge and education can cure the blindness called ignorance. Kalki works within her community through her writings and she works with the public especially the youth, by creating awareness on Transgender issues. She hopes to break the myths and wipe the misinformation that exist in the society about transgenders. On the professinal side, she is an IT person working as an Independent Media Specialist. She develops web based projects. She is interested in the Film and Television Media. In future, she hopes to travel around the world and work for gender rights for woman and transwoman. Her cherished goal is to work as a cultural ambassador on behalf of India. She wants to work with the UNESCO in the UNO. Write to her at: aurokalki@gmail.com Her FOUNDATION: *******WELCOME TO SAHODARI**** Sahodari Foundation is a one woman mission of Kalki. Through her foundation, she hopes to bring light to the world about the second type men and women of India. The Foundation is involved in creating awareness to the public, especially the youth, in accepting and living with gender variant people. It offers the right information, help and guidance for a better life to the Transgendered community of India through its magazine, website, seminars and workshops. 'Sahodari' means Sister. In early 2001, Kalki found the first magazine in Tamil for Transgendered Community and its name was 'Sahodari'. After 2 years, the magazine had to be stopped due to lack of financial support. The other big option to reach the youth was through the internet. Thus www.sahodari.org was born. The website offers spiritual and psychological support for the transcommunity. It is not a place for beautification of the body. It is a place to beautify your mind. I believe, we can create a world where we can live like angels, with dignity and peace, where we are respected and loved... http://www.sahodari.org/ |
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