Yes, India is much more modern than some other countries when it comes to the rights of transgender people as well as the LGBTQ community in general. Yet, on a surface, the situation isn’t particularly progressive, and people aren’t particularly accepting of transgender individuals. Things were much more difficult couple of years ago, when there was a lack of rights available to LGBTQ members. Even in those hard days, there are Indian transgenders who went on to become huge and gained fame due to their achievements in their lives and what they did to help the advancement of their community. Let’s take a look at the 10 most famous Indian transgenders you need to be aware of. Let’s get started.
1. Padmini Prakash
Did you know who was the first transgender journalist in India? Meet Padmini Prakash, an exemplary leader that we need to present to everyone. Padmini was born to a strict family and faced the rejection of her family and difficult times at the age of just a few years. At the age of 13, she attempted to commit suicide. But she didn’t let it determine who she became. She made headlines in 2014 by becoming the news reporter of Lotus TV in Coimbatore during the peak hours. It’s not just about how she ended up in the media industry, it’s all about breaking the walls for transgenders everywhere in India.
2. K Prithika Yashini
Imagine fighting to establish your own identity. That’s exactly what K. the Prithika Yashini battled in order to be the very first official in the police force of India. Prithika was born as a male, but she always knew that she was female. She was in many legal hurdles to get a position as a sub-inspector within Tamil Nadu, but she was successful by having the Madras High Court decided in her favor. The appointment of Prithika in 2017 isn’t just an individual victory, but also a sign of optimism to India’s Indian police force’s capacity to be more welcoming to all, right?
3. Dr. Manabi Bandopadhyay
Then again, not only is director Dr. Manabi Bandopadhyay a director as well, she’s also an entrepreneur. Manabi was born Somnath as a child in the year 1966 fought with the pressures of family and society face-to-face. Manabi underwent surgery to alter the gender of her body in 2003. She then became the first transgender person to receive an academic doctorate on Bengali literature. She broke another barrier when she was appointed the director of the West Bengal’s Krishnagar Women’s College in 2015. In addition to school she launched the first transgender magazine in India, “Ob-Manab,” which helped many people follow their dreams, despite social hurdles like, for instance.
4. Laxmi Narayan Tripathi
It’s a fact that Laxmi Narayan Tripathi’s name is a name which requires respect. And you’ll be able to understand why when we talk about the experiences she had to endure. She was discriminated and abused on account of her being born to the Brahmin family, yet she made use of those experiences to fuel her activism. In 2008, however, Laxmi was the first transgender woman to be a spokesperson for the Asia-Pacific region in the UN. She founded”Astitva,” the “Astitva” trust and “Kinnar Akhada,” which were the first to be introduced at Kumbh Mela. In her memoir, “Me Hijra, Me Laxmi,” she reveals the details of her life, and fights for the rights of transgender people to be recognized and protected by law.
5. Joyita Mondal
It is a fact Joyita Mondal was made India’s first transgender judge demonstrates how committed she is. Joyita was raised in a conservative neighborhood and was a victim of injustice from the beginning however she refused to give up in her pursuit of justice. She set a precedent by being appointed an official judge at the Lok Adalat in North Bengal in October of 2017.
6. Sathyasri Sharmila
Sathyasri Sharmila was the first lawyer in India who was transgender who broke new ground in the field of legal. Her birthplace was in Tamil Nadu and had to face some racism and discrimination, but she decided to become a lawyer in order to fight for equality and justice. She was a member of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in June 2018 which was a significant step in the right direction. Sathyasri utilizes her legal knowledge to defend groups who are not represented and proves that strength is possible despite social barriers.
7. Nitasha Biswas
Nitasha Biswas is strong and determined. As of 2017, the actress was India’s very first beauty queen who was transgender. Nitasha was raised in Kolkata and faced with abuse and rejection however she accepted her identity. Her victory in the Miss Transqueen India pageant made her well-known and raised awareness of gender identity and transgender individuals are needed to be more accepted by society. Many transgender individuals want to be models and Nitasha’s achievements show that believing in yourself will help you through whatever comes your way, no matter what.
8. Akkai Padmashali
Akkai Padmashali, a human rights advocate who has dedicated her entire time fighting to protect LGBT rights for transgender persons. Born in Bengaluru and was faced with a variety of harassment and discrimination. However, she made use of the experiences she endured to help her become an advocate. Although, as a sexual employee, Akkai saw a lot of sexual violence and opted to join Sangama which is an organisation that aids sexual minorities.
9. Madhu Bai Kinnar
Madhu Bai Kinnar is the first Indian transgender mayor and was a huge deal. Born in a family of low castes and was confronted with racism and sexism but she wanted to be more. In the beginning, Madhu made money by dancing and singing on trains. Then, she was elected to office in order to serve her community. Later in her life, as an BJP candidate she was elected in the election in 2015 for the post of mayor in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh.
10. Jiya Das
For those who aren’t aware, Jiya Das is India’s first transgender operating room (OT) employee which is an important leap forward in the field of medicine. Jiya is a native of Kolkata and had to contend with discrimination while attending school for a career as a medical tech. Although she faced difficulties working, she got able to be hired as an OT worker in June 2018. In the end this story highlights how vital professional education and training is to provide people living in communities that are marginalized more choices.
Conclusion
Here you go. The times are changing in India and now transgender individuals are becoming more accepted by society. In that, there are the contributions of these 10 most well-known Indian transgender people who have done an amazing job of showing that they’ve got what it takes to succeed and be effective.
