And ruining our liberal society.
Or so it would seem for the pre-colonized South-East Asian transgendered communities!
That's right, today's topic is....*insert drum roll*
Intersexuals in Asia (Thailand, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh edition)
In Southeast Asia, the transgendered are referred to as "the third sex"; Hijra/Hijda in the Indian Subcontinent and Kathoey in Thailand. One would think that in this so-called "modern age" that people of all gender, sexuality or race would be free to live life as they saw fit, but that's not the case.
However, before the British came to Asia and ruined is sexually free environment, the Hijra were seen as a normal part of society: not be ridiculed nor banished from home. Hijras are mentioned in the Kama Sutra and were used as court eunuchs until the 1950’s. Hijras are usually devotees to Bahuchara Mata (the mother goddess) or Shiva. Every spring, they celebrate a festival to mourn lord Aravaan.
Religion is the basis of the Hijra, it is their method of birth. They undergo a nirvan (a rebirth) via total emasculation: the testes, scrotum and penis are removed without anesthesia . After the nirvan, the Hijra lives with a Hijra family consisting of a guru and chelas, “students”. The chelas assume the surname of the guru, and create a close knit family unit within the guru’s household.
When the Brits arrived in India, they began to dominate the already established political system. They instilled Western ideology and sexual conservatism. The Brits attempted to eliminate the Hijras, citing them as “a breach of public indecency.” Due to anti-Hijra sentiment, the Hijras have been reduced to a life of prostitution and begging. Violence against them is wide-spread in India, therefore, they have started to become politically active: they participate in HIV/AIDS awareness and other pro-gay rallies in India.
Kathoey refers to Thailand’s so-called “lady-boys”, or transwomen, whether they be pre- or post-operation. Kathoeys, unlike the Hijra, are relatively accepted in the Thai culture; Thailand has never been conquered by the Western powers. Some believe that they accept the Kathoey because they see the Kathoey as people who have committed transgressions in their past lives: there are to be pitied and not blamed. Thailand is overwhelmingly Buddhist.
Although Thailand has a much more liberal approach to the intersex than India, it is still not perfect. Kathoeys are unable to change their legal sex. Families are usually disappointed if a son becomes a Kathoey.
Thailand is on its way to being the first country to openly accept those of the third gender. They are in the public eye, whether it be the boxer Nong Tum, or the Iron Ladies volleyball team or even the band Venus Flytrap. Chiang Mai Technology school even created a separate bathroom for Kathoeys; although, the students are required to wear male clothing, they can sport feminine hairdos.
So here we have yet another example of the damage caused by the British. What will they do next?
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s esoteric blurb, in which we discuss the effects of tanning solution on the scalp or something to that effect…
