“During my childhood days, I always wanted to be like a girl. And I used to wear my mother’s scarf and acted like a girl. While growing up, I was beaten up for behaving in such manner. Meanwhile, I had no idea why I was like that who wanted to look like a female and why I was attracted to male, being a male,” expressed Alisha, 17-year-old transgender.
It has been around two years since she got out as a transgender. She was able to do so after living away from her family. “One day, I went home dressed up as a female in front of everyone. Then, my father called me in a quiet place and told me that only those who carry sin in their life behave as such. After this conversation, I went home and texted him that I am not changing who I am. Then left home,” said Alisha.
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When she had not come out as a transgender she used to have confusion whether to use male toilet or female toilet. She added, “I had some friends at school who used to tease my feminine gestures. I used to go to men’s toilet and I got teased by elders who would say I was not suppose to be in men’s toilet as I was not a man. Going to public toilet was a problem. And it is hard to get a room to rent as in other’s eyes people like us are ‘hijras’.”
Alisha and many others like her have been facing discrimination and are being neglected in the society. However, Alisha is hopeful for her future as she can see many transgender who have created their own name and identity in the society through their work. She said, “I became confident after knowing people like me can also be a politician, beautician, social worker and even international model.”
