Who are real Aravanis?

September 18, 2008

Denial of identity card for Aravanis in male attire and lives in biological

family

Tamilnadu Aravanis welfare board - is formed recently by the state

ministry of social welfare to take care of the welfare activities of

Aravanis in Tamilnadu.

The first initiative of the board is to take census of Aravanis and provide

identity card with sex column as " Thiru-nanagi " [New

identity proposed by Trans-gender activists]. Also this, baseline data would

help to take evidence based decisions in future activities of the board.

As per the plan, the board has started to enroll the names of Aravanis in some

district collector offices. Reportedly, this registration process might goes up

to the end this month (September). In this process, the board seeks the

help of Nayaks [Leaders of Aravanis community] to recommend/ acknowledge the

persons coming for registration as " Aravani " . Also, the government officials who

are in this process have given complete freedom to Nayaks to select or reject

as they like.

With this background, *Susi kumar* [name changed], a self-identified Aravani

from the upper middle class family visited the collector office to enroll her

name. During the enrollment, she was verbally abused by the Nayak for not

affiliated to jamath [Association of Aravanis], not done emasculation, and not

in female attire.

Even though she gave many valid excuses and tried badly to prove her choice of

gender identity as " Thiru-nangai " , all her efforts went in vain. Finally, she

was rejected by the Nayak and labeled as

non-Aravani. She also had to beg the government officials by showing all her

female attire photographs that she had taken in private. But, the government

officials were also seems to be helpless as they wanted green signal from the

Nayak.

Susi kumar, unlike other Aravanis, lives in family and in male attire. When she

explaining the importance of the identity card for her: " I live in my family. As

I love my mother and family, I don't wish to leave them and join with Aravanis

community.

Recently, my mother, my only hope in life also passed away. My brothers often

abuse me verbally and sometimes physically.

My neighbors also often mimic me for my feminine mannerism. As I don't have any

emotional support, they [family members] might send me out of family at any

time. My brothers are very curious about my family property. This identity card

would help me to seek the support of police and lawyers incase of any such

issues. "

When the Nayak of the district was asked the reason for rejecting Susi Kumar,

she raised her concern that - only those Aravanis like her who comes out of

family, and live in female attire faces many issues in life but Aravanis living

in family do not face such problems. She added that, if they enroll persons

based on the self -identity, all males would come and get the benefits given to

Aravanis.

Gayathri [name changed], a Trans-gender activist also extended her voice in

support of Susi kumar. According to her, the self identity of an individual

should be respected without giving importance to physical attire and

emasculation status etc. She said that, often this kind of lack of acceptance

within the community for invisible Aravanis who lives in family forces them to

choose sex reassignment surgery and come out of family. And, finally the lack of

any support systems forces them in to full time sex work.

Thus, sex work poses them and their clients in to HIV risk. She also added that,

often kothis [this identity refers both who lives in female and male attire]

face verbal abuse, violence and sexual harassment at many places out of their

feminine mannerism. This kind of initiative would help them at large to take

legal actions against such human rights violations.

Amoka [name changed], a queer activist who work for HIV based NGOs shared her

concern in this regard. In her words: " Each one's individual identity should be

respected. We always blame the society for stigmatizing us based on some social

constructions and judgments. But, this is also the self stigma with the

community.

A lso, no non-Aravani will misuse the opportunity as the excuse given by the

Nayak for rejecting Susi. No one is going to

crown us if we identity as we are. All we get by identifying as Aravani is only

stigma and discrimination. Union is strength. Let us embrace all and accept

Susi. "

She also added that NGO working in HIV should also take care of non-sexual

health issues such as advocating for human rights issues like this. This

potentially results in reaching out to many people and thus control the

epidemic.

Thus, after series of advocacies only recently government has taken

initiatives for the welfare of Aravanis. Also, HIV prevalence has been

increasing at alarming rate among Aravanis and other similarly marginalized

populations.