One thing in my favour, was I am the guest of Peersaab Fakhru Miya Hujra No 6 the shop keepers, residents khadims, people of Ajmer knows that I am a photographer, so cooperate completely in my picture taking.. dont take offense , otherewise its tough moving around with a camera ..
It is the first time I set foot at Moti Katla , I had two or three days in hand , I was more interested shooting the Malangs, than came the Eunuchs , so it was a strange tug of war..both communities pulled me towards them ,my business being a one man show my presence much required, I was sceptical about my Ajmer trip this year as my work has not been great mounting pressures of unpaid credit that I gave to people, people , mostly suppliers that I have to pay..
For my kind of photography , a cool head is required this was always missing..I always thought of my shop my abscence from it.. even for three days..
Photography is not a common mans hobby, its not like gardening buy a seed it will grow , bear fruit , another seed , another plant..
Photography is expensive , Photography is a Nawabi Shauk, you got to have money.. no money forget Photography.Earlier it was much tougher, buy a roll wash it develop print..now with digital it has become much easier but you need to have your own comp too..I still dont have a lap top, I bought a comp for my house instead of a laptop.
I need a real good camera, I have not bought a camera since the last one that I bought on a Standard Chartered personal loan the disaster Nikon D70.
I sold the F90X I have just the Nikon F100 as backup.. a very handy analogue camera.
I still prefer film..but digital is less hassle.
Ajmer Moti Katra is the haunt of all the Hijdas , you cant miss them, all the vendors, the soft fingered little masseur boys, the cute dhaapli boys all come here , the Hijdas spend lavishly, the Hijda by nature will be miserly but here at Ajmer they open up their purses in Khwajh Nagri ,
they love to street shop, gossip tease connect.
The Qawwals too come and do their stuff near the Chai shop, they are generously compensated..as the Hijdas love Music Dance ..the imagery of living together , Khwajah Moinuddin Chishty undeniably is the Hijda patron Saint.. He takes care of them, they are his children , no more the children of a lesser god that exists in society.
Maybe it is this feeling of being taken care that binds me with them , yes we are from the spirtual household of the Love of Khwajah .
I have learnt a lot about Hijda likes dislikes , honestly I dont even sit with them for hours, even Laxmi we dont meet , she will share only what is necessary otherwise she shuts up all her secrets in her Hijda head..she hates being called a Hijda , yes she and her kind are Transgenders.
Transgender (IPA: [tʰɹænz’dʒɛndɚ], from trans (Latin) and gender (English) ) is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies that diverge from the normative gender role (woman or man) commonly, but not always, assigned at birth, as well as the role traditionally held by society.
Transgender is the state of one’s “gender identity” (self-identification as male, female, both or neither) not matching one’s “assigned gender” (identification by others as male or female based on physical/genetic sex). Transgender does not imply any specific form of sexual orientation — transgender people may identify as queer, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual or asexual.
A transgender individual may have characteristics that are normally associated with a particular gender, identify elsewhere on the traditional gender continuum, or exist outside of it as “other,” “agender,” “intergender,” or “third gender”. Transgender people may also identify as bigender, or along several places on either the traditional transgender continuum, or the more encompassing continuums which have been developed in response to the significantly more detailed studies done in recent years.[1]
Evolution of the term transgender
The term transgender was popularised in the 1970’s[2] (but implied in the 1960’s[3][4]) describing people who wanted to live cross-gender without gender reassignment surgery.[5] In the 1980’s the term was expanded to an umbrella term[6] and became popular as a means of uniting all those whose gender identity did not mesh with their gender assigned at birth.[7] In the 1990’s the term took on a political dimension [8][9] as an alliance covering all who have at some point not conformed to gender norms, and the term became used to question the validity of those norms,[10] or pursue equal rights and anti-discrimination legislation,[11][12] leading to its widespread usage in the media, academic world and law.[13] The term continues to evolve.
[edit] Current definition
The current definition for transgender remains in flux, but some definitions are:
“Of, relating to, or designating a person whose identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender, but combines or moves between these”.[14]
“People who were assigned a gender, usually at birth and based on their genitals, but who feel that this is a false or incomplete description of themselves.”[15]
“Non-identification with, or non-presentation as, the gender one was assigned at birth.”[16]
[edit] Transgender identities
Transgender identity includes many overlapping categories. These include transsexual; cross-dresser; transvestite; androgynes; genderqueer; people who live cross-gender; drag kings; and drag queens. Usually not included, because it involves a paraphilia, not gender identification, are transvestic fetishists. These terms are explained below.
Many people also identify simply as transgender.
The extent to which intersex people (those with ambiguous genitalia or other physical sexual characteristics) are transgender is debated, since not all intersex people disagree with their gender assigned at birth.
The current definitions of transgender include all transsexual people, although this has been criticised.
The term “transman” refers to female-to-male (”FTM”) transgender people, and “transwoman” refers to male-to-female (”MTF”) transgender people, although some transgender people identify only slightly with the gender not assigned at birth. In the past, it was assumed that there were far more transwomen than transmen, but it now seems likely that the actual ratio is closer to 1:1.[17] There is a school of thought that says terms such as “FTM” and “MTF” are subjugating language that reinforces the binary gender stereotype.[18]
The term “cisgender” refers to non-transgender people, i.e. those who identify with their gender assigned at birth.
[edit] Transsexual
Main article: Transsexual
Transsexual people identify as, or desire to live and be accepted as, a member of the gender opposite to that assigned at birth.[19][20] Many transsexual people also want to change their bodies. These physical changes are collectively known as sex reassignment therapy and often include hormones and sex reassignment surgery. References to “pre-operative”, “post-operative” and “non-operative” transsexual people indicate whether they have had, or are planning to have sex reassignment surgery. Although there are genetic, hormonal, and psychological theories, there is currently no known cause of transsexualism.
[edit] Cross-dresser
Main article: Cross-dresser
A cross-dresser is someone who wears clothing of the opposite gender for any reason. Cross-dressers may not identify with, or want to be the opposite gender, nor adopt the behaviors or practices of the opposite gender, and generally do not want to change their bodies medically. The majority of cross-dressers identify as heterosexual.[21]
[edit] Drag king and drag queen
Main articles: Drag king, Drag queen
Drag involves wearing exaggerated and outrageous costumes, or imitating celebrities of the opposite gender (e.g. Rupaul). It is a performing art practiced by drag queens and drag kings. Drag is theatrical, often comedic, sometimes grotesque, and has been occasionally considered a caricature of women by feminists. Drag is often found in a gay or lesbian context, although it is an aspect of straight culture as well, with many straight men wearing drag at Halloween and straight comics (e.g. Dame Edna, Monty Python) including drag in their acts. The word “drag” is sometimes applied to crossdressing in general and transgender people who are not performers may identify as drag queens or drag kings. The term “drag king” can also apply to female-to-male transgender people who do not exclusively identify as male, and can cover wider ground than “drag queen”.
[edit] Transvestite
Main article: Transvestism
See also: Transvestic fetishism
A transvestite is someone who cross-dresses, but transvestic fetishism is a medical term for someone with a fetish for cross-dressing. To prevent confusion, the term “transvestite” has been rejected in favor of “cross-dresser”. Transvestic fetishism has been considered a derogatory term, as it implies a hierarchy in which the sexual element of transgender behavior is of low social value. It is often difficult to distinguish between a fetish for cross-dressing, and transgender behaviour that includes sexual play.
[edit] Genderqueer
Main article: Genderqueer
Genderqueer is a recent attempt to signify gendered experiences that do not fit into binary concepts, and refers to a combination of gender identities and sexual orientations. One example could be a person whose gendered presentation is sometimes perceived as male, sometimes female, but whose gender identity is female, gendered expression is butch, and sexual orientation is lesbian. It suggests nonconformity or mixing of gendered stereotypes, conjoining both gender and gayness,[22] and challenges existing constructions and identities.[23] Genderqueerness is unintelligible and abjected in the binary sex/gender system.[24]
[edit] People who live cross-gender
People who live cross-gender live always or mostly as the gender other than that assigned at birth. If they want to be or identify as their gender assigned at birth, then the term “crossdresser” [25] may also be used. If they want to be or identify as the gender they always or mostly live in, then the term “transsexual” may also be used .[19] The term “transgender” [26][27][28]. or “transgenderist”[29] has been applied to people who live cross-gender without sex reassignment surgery.
[edit] Androgyne
Main article: Androgyne
An androgyne is a person who does not fit cleanly into the typical gender roles of their society. Androgynes may identify as beyond gender, between genders, moving across genders, entirely genderless, or any or all of these. Androgyne identities include pangender, bigender, ambigender, non-gendered, agender, gender fluid or intergender. Androgyne used to be a synonym for intersex people, but this usage has fallen out of favor. Androgyny can be either physical or psychological; it does not depend on birth sex and is not limited to intersex people. Occasionally, people who do not define themselves as androgynes adapt their physical appearance to look androgynous. This outward androgyny has been used in fashion, and the milder forms of it (women wearing men’s pants or men wearing two earrings, for example) are not seen as transgender behavior.
[edit] Transgender in contrast with sexual orientation
Main article: Homosexuality and transgender
See also: LGBT, section “Controversy”
Gender identity and transgender identity are fundamentally different concepts than that of sexual orientation. Transgender people have more or less the same variety of sexual orientations as cisgender people.[30] In the past, the terms homosexual and heterosexual were used for transgender people based on their birth sex.[31] Professional literature now uses terms such as attracted to men (androsexual), attracted to women (gynosexual), attracted to both or attracted to neither to describe a person’s sexual orientation without reference to their gender identity,[32] Therapists are coming to understand the necessity of choosing terms with respect to their clients’ gender identities and preferences.[33][34] Transgender people’s options for orientation identification are not defined by their birth sex.
[edit] Transgender and healthcare
Main article: Transgender transition
See also: Gender transitioning
[edit] Mental healthcare
The terms “gender dysphoria” and “gender identity disorder” are used in the psychiatric and medical community to explain transgender and transsexual tendencies as a psychological condition and the reaction to its social consequences. Strictly speaking, gender dysphoria and gender identity disorder are considered to be mental illnesses, as recorded in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the standard for mental health care professionals. Because of the countless historical recordings of such behavior, however, there is strong debate as to whether they should actually be considered a mental illness at all. Most transgender people reject the idea, and consider their being transgender as a simple variation of human behavior rather than a mental illness. [35] Some have argued in favor of the idea of “gender giftedness.”
Many mental healthcare providers know little about transgender life. People seeking help from these professionals often end up educating the professional rather than receiving help.[36] Among those therapists who profess to know about transgender issues, many believe that transitioning from one sex to another — the standard transsexual model — is the best or only solution. This usually works well for those who are transsexual, but is not the solution for other transgender people, particularly cross-gender people who do not identify as plainly male or female.
[edit] Physical healthcare
Medical procedures for transgender people are available in most Western and many non-Western countries. These procedures include hormone replacement therapy and may also include sexual reassignment surgery (a.k.a. gender reassignment surgery). Although a strong wish for surgery is part of the psychiatric diagnosis [37], a number of transsexual people do not undergo SRS, for a variety of reasons. For transwomen, electrolysis or laser hair removal for hair removal is often desired, while many transmen have breast reduction surgery as early as possible.
[edit] Transgender and the law
Main article: Legal aspects of transsexualism
See also: Category:Transgender law
Many Western societies have procedures whereby an individual can change their name, and sometimes their legal gender, to reflect their gender identity. In some countries, an explicit formal diagnosis of transsexualism is necessary. In others, a diagnosis of gender identity disorder, or the fact that one has established a different gender role, can be sufficient for some or all of the legal recognition available.
[edit] Transgender and criticism
[edit] Characterisation as lifestyle choice
Gender roles are an important part of many cultures and those engaged in strong challenges to the prevalence of these roles, such as many transgender people, often face considerable prejudice.[38] Some people, more often politicians than medical professionals, have claimed that being transgender is merely “a choice and a lifestyle” (for example U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas[39]); in this context, it is usually seen as an extreme form of homosexuality.
[edit] Transgender and transsexual
Transsexual people who identify as transgender state that the word “transgender” places the emphasis on gender identity, not sexual orientation.[40] Transsexual people who do not identify as transgender state that an umbrella term marginalises them, or that they do not wish to be confused with other transgender identities. In an effort to respect those transsexual people who do not identify as transgender, the terms “trans”, “trans*”, or “transgender and transsexual” have been used to describe all transpeople.
People who have transitioned and do not identify as either transgender or transsexual state that someone who has transitioned is simply a man or a woman.[41]
People who criticise the term “transsexual” state that gender reassignment surgery makes people infertile and does not change their chromosomes, rendering the transition cosmetic, not fundamental.[42] This argument has been used to dispute transsexual women’s identification and association with other women.[43] This argument is seen as biological determinism [40] and ignores other women who are infertile (e.g. women with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome with XY chromosomes) or intersex (e.g. women with severe Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia).
[edit] Transgender people in non-Western cultures
See also: Category:Transgender in non-Western cultures
This article describes transgender in the West, but other cultures have or have had similar phenomena.
[edit] North America
In what is now the United States and Canada, many Native American and Canadian First Nations peoples recognised [44] the existence of more than two genders, such as the Lakota male-bodied winkte [45] and the Mohave male-bodied alyhaa and female-bodied hwamee.[46] Such people were previously [47] referred to as berdache but are now referred to as Two-Spirit,[48] and their spouses would not necessarily have been regarded as gender-different.[46] In Mexico, the Zapotec culture includes a third gender in the form of the Muxe.[49]
[edit] Asia
In Thailand, the term kathoey is used to refer to male-to-female transgender people [50] and effeminate gay men.[51] The cultures of the Indian subcontinent include people who are assigned male at birth and who later live as a third gender, referred to as hijra [52] in Hindi. There is a long history of transgender people in the greater Chinese region, including the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Since the mid-1980s, transsexual people in Iran have been officially recognized following a fatwa from Ayatollah Khomeini, and expected to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
[edit] Other
In early Medina, gender-variant [53] male-to-female Islamic people were acknowledged [54] in the form of the Mukhannathun. In Ancient Rome, the Gallae were castrated [55] followers of the Phrygian goddess Cybele and can be regarded as transgender in today’s terms.[56][57]
[sourced from net,
April 25th, 2007
