An Intimate Conversation with Hijras: Inside India's Third Gender

Описание: Hijras have been a part of the cultural fabric of the Indian subcontinent for as long as history is written. They trace their roots back to the ancient times of Lord Rama and like to call themselves "Kinner".

I am a high school senior from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I was fascinated by the hijras, whom I first saw a few years back when visiting India. They are a transgender or intersex community and are neither accepted as man or woman. They dress and talk very distinctively. They are considered lucky and are paid for giving blessings on the social occasions of childbirth and weddings, but are also of somewhat of social outcasts.

This summer, I took my video camera with me to India in the hope of filming them. I was lucky to convince some of them to talk to me candidly and intimately. They talked about their journey from their birth to self-awakening to sexual identity, the rituals, admittance to this social entity, lifestyle, and social structure. And how they claim special blessings from Lord Rama that make their own blessings really auspicious. I have translated their original Gujarati answers in subtitles.

I was pleasantly surprised by their openness, candor, and welcome. I feel lucky to give a voice to this unique, little-respected but wholly accepted community.