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Living Conditions Of The Transgender Community In India

Apr. 09, 2020   •   Architi Batra

Transgender people are those whose gender identity does not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. It differs from their biological sex. The term “Transgender” is an umbrella term that includes people of various gender identifications such as feminine men, masculine women, drag queens and etc. Transgender identifies them within the categories of male, female, gender queen, nonbinary and agender.

It is no doubt that the condition of transgender is at a depressed level in society. Although, they have always been a part of society as it can be illustrated from Vedic and Puranic pieces of literature where words like napunsak (a person who has a lack of procreative ability) and Tritiya Prakriti( meaning the third gender)have been mentioned. It is under British raj where they lost their civil rights and declared as the kidnapper of children. This led to a condition where situations of transgender continuously degraded. (1)

At the current level, transgender people are eventually getting recognition at the legal level and according to the Census of India 2011; the population of transgender is 4.88 lakh. This was the first time transgender received recognition as the third gender by Census of India and there are certain instances where they are level of identification has received. But the questions regarding the social role, status, and situations have yet remained unanswered despite those changes spotted over the years.

The living condition of the transgender community is much like the scenario of dejection. From the observation of the transgender community, the result has been much similar to what had been projected before observation and it has been much correlated with the condition which has already been in existence. A number of trans people from different places have clustered together to live under the same shelter, their shelter varies in forms from a temple to red light areas. They are being navigated by Guru(known as the leader of transgender people).In most of the cases, it is Gurus who have to make them realize their condition. Gurus are considered spiritual leaders, chaperones and pimps. They are being brought up by Gurus to other places where other Trans people reside. Devotees who follow gurus are called chelas and they live under the directions of mid-ranking trans people who report to Gurus. Trans people consider these Gurus a big role of their lives who make them stable. They consider the relationship of being togetherness under the same shelter as a sisterhood. Their means of livelihood are mainly begging at traffic lights, ceremonial blessings, through sex work and etc. The large proportion of the Trans community is dependent on these works indicating negligence and alienation of that community from the majority. Some trans openly choose to be known as transgender while others have undergone transition. But, the majority of transgender interviewed want to have remained as transgender instead of having surgery.

It has been seen there have been positive situations happening with Trans people but with its own loopholes. They are receiving basic amenities such as electricity, water, and food but in the context of struggle. It has been noted that many of them have acquired cards providing certain identification to them such as Voter ID card acting as a receipt of their basic rights at the same time many Trans people who are dependent directly on sex work for their livelihood lack in such facilities. The majority of them has had no schooling and the rest of them have attended up to primary and secondary level. It has also been observed that they have received quotas at education and health institutions and majority are specifically aware of that but yet they are failed to attend such institutions. In education settings, the fear of suppression and lack of social mixing is quite prevalent at the same time high-quality facilities within health infrastructures are absent to them with the only access to ordinary monetary benefits. They are mostly migrants and have migrated from their places of the resident to other metropolitan cities. The reasons for the migration range and differ. In order to avoid societal suppression facing at the place of origin, they migrate to a new place. There have also been cases where they have migrated with a motivation of up-gradation of their living condition. Also, for being more familiar with their own people, they tend to migrate. In many cases, they have been brought by their Gurus. The societal suppression which makes that section of people to surround a certain degree of vulnerability is the main root behind their degrading lives. The cases of sexual assaults, violence, and abuse have been reported in all over India.

According to many Trans people who have been surveyed, nothing can lead to major change until the mentality of people remain the same and consider them like a stigma of degradation to society. Separation from family has not always been seen as an encouragement and families have not always rejected and deserted them, there have been many cases where families have always been wanted to put up along with their offspring but yet failed - a result of oppressive behavior of society.

It further leads gurus to transfer them to new places where they might earn as beggars, sex workers. However, there are several instances spotted where these Trans people are still in contact with their families and they visit their family as well but again visitations are very rare and these are not frequent and regular. According to them, they seem to be satisfied with their own people in these metropolitan cities as there have become stabilized and familiar with life situations. There are also fewer cases reported according to them covering violence and volatile situations. Overall, the social situations are so decaying that in spite of receiving so many backlashes, tantrums together with violence, murders, and rapes, there is still very few numbers of steps are being taken for them. Police officials refused to file cases by making light of their cases as a result of their gender identity.

From the observation and interviews, it has been concluded that it is societal suppression which is the main source of their sufferings. Isolation and alienation from society have caused them to be placed at a certain distance where nourishment of them is quite impossible. This has caused a feeling of fear and anxiety among them which is keeping them away from their places of happiness and comfort. It is no doubt society specifically looks down upon them and they are considered as “cheap human beings”, who don’t have their own self-identity. People don’t want to involve them as part of their environment and avoid living around them. They are merely considered as a joke to society. This witticism does not remain normal when it turns into brutal killings and murders and puts a full stop to their lives. This is the result of a famous term “ Transphobia” which encourages violence against them and it is responsible for a number of brutal murders of transgender people all around the world. The irony is that at one point Trans people are known for their blessings at ceremonies and considered as divine figures at the same they are being contemplated as sin to the same society leading to the low socio-economic background as these are the section of people suffering from a certain degree of poverty. As the main means of their livelihood of them are begging, dancing at temples, they remain busy in those works irrespective of their wills where they are being harassed by police and other people who try to keep them away from certain properties. They try to mock them with unpleasant behavior. The only source of stabilization for them is their gurus. However, this fact cannot be avoided that they are being restricted to return to their homes and this restriction is arrived out of the orders of limitations of their current leaders. It has been seen that many transgender is being forcefully taken by their gurus from their families irrespective of their wills. So, it is not always the case negligence but also a state of greed. Those figures as gurus are not always in the favor of the welfare of transgender whose main source of income primarily dependent on their chelas.

It has been concluded that despite certain recognition at a certain level there are requirements of many important initiations which have to be taken in order to improve their lives. It has been seen facilities provided at institutions are still outlined by lack of some necessary facilities and rights. For example-strict male and female uniforms in education settings cause anxiety among them and forces them to avoid schools. There are instances of rejection of job applications of Trans applicants at occupational institutions due to the failure of their recognition. There is a lack of high-quality facilities at minimum cost or free cost-other biggest obstacle for them. The reasons for their low socio-economic background not always lie in the realm of societal views but also lack of initiations and steps which need to be accelerated. Lack of employment and education make them viable to sexual works and overlap the problems that already exist with other difficulties further fuel the atrocious situations present in their world.

However, in the midst of disappointment and negligence of the Trans community, many of these people have been satisfied with their condition. They have been seen in the state of content, despite a low standard of living and low quality of living. The condition of shelter most of the time is of very poor quality and it suffers from a certain level of shabbiness and deterioration, yet it is indicating the fact of their acceptance of situations and adjustment to its core level.

[The author, Suruchi Kumari is a first-year student of BA(H) Geography from Miranda House, Delhi University.]

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  1. Nasker,Prosenjit,Roy,Seema,Naskar Somanath ,et al,.(2018). An assessment of the quality of life of transgender adults in an urban area of Burdwan district, West Bengal. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20180766

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