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The Indian state of Tamil Nadu is to hire the country's first transgender police officer after a court cleared hurdles that faced one applicant. K Prithika Yashini, who was born male but underwent gender reassignment surgery, applied to become a police sub-inspector in the southern state. But the state police board did not recognise a third gender, leading her to pursue a legal case against it. A court in Chennai (Madras) has now ruled in her favour. "I'm excited," Prithika was quoted as saying by India's NDTV network. "It's a new beginning for the entire transgender community."
originally posted by: Revolution9
a reply to: asen_y2k
In India there is a tradition of this know as the Hijra. My mum and dad told me about it. It goes back centuries. India has some fascinating cultural idiosyncrasies.
The Hijra are dancers and do a kind of begging, asking for money when they do a dance. They go around in groups.
So for India to do this does not surprise me. In some places you could walk around naked covered in ash and no one would bat an eye lid. The Sadhus (Hindu Holy Men) are very strange in behaviour and appearance sometimes.
Read about Hijra here: Hijra (South Asia)
originally posted by: Nexttimemaybe
Good for her, not really anything else to really say about it.
originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: asen_y2k
It is important to put this into context when looking at the weird paradox of the acceptance of her vs LGBT rights in India.
There is a looooong traditional history of transwomen in India. They were respected and considered holy (representative of a particular goddess). It was not until European colonization that the western Christian ideas of strictly adhering to gender binaries presented itself.
They are still suffering from the bigotry imposed upon them during that period. This may be a good sign that things are returning to the more sensible perspective of gender.