At A Glance: India’s First Transgender People In Various Fields!

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While we never miss out praising our women for being the first in their respective domain of work, we often overlook the achievements that our trans women struggle for — from being the first-ever lawyer, RJ, principal, MLA, highest degree holder to even the supermodel, these iconic ladies have shattered the unwanted social tantrums and proved that your talent and merit have nothing to do with your gender or sexuality!

Here are few of the iconic trans ladies who went on to become the first transgender people of the country in their respective domain of work.

Sathyasri Sharmila

India’s first transgender lawyer, Sathyasri shunned the stereotypical mindset behind, fought the gender abusive community and established an example by pursuing law so that she can fight against injustice.

“Today, I enrolled my name in the Bar Council Of Tamil Nadu And Puducherry and became the first transgender lawyer in India. I have struggled a lot in my life,” she told ANI in July 2018.

Atri Kar

India’s first transgender schoolteacher who appeared for the West Bengal Public Service Commission, Atri fought two long years of a legal battle.

The policy which enables transgender people to apply for education and employment under the ‘other’ category wasn’t implemented everywhere due to which Atri couldn’t apply for the exam. She fought against WBPSC in the Calcutta High Court, appealed to the State Administrative Tribunal, which decided the case in her support.

K Prithika Yashini

India’s first transgender sub-inspector in Tamil Nadu state police, Prithika opted for a sex change surgery and fulfilled her dreams of becoming a police officer.

She had to approach the court, elicit an informal enquiry and cross several hurdles to fulfil her dream of becoming a police officer.

Joyita Mondal

India’s first transgender judge, Joyita was appointed at Lok Adalat in North Bengal at the age of 29.

Mondal decided to obtain a degree in law after working for transgender rights organisations.

Manabi Bandopadhyay

India’s first transgender college principal, Manabi is also the first Indian transgender to complete Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

She used to teach as an associate professor in Bengali at Vivekananda Satobarshiki Mahavidyalaya earlier.

Shabnam Mausi

India’s first transgender MLA, Shabnam contested elections from Sohagpur constituency in district Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh.

As her family did not support her, she wasn’t able to attend school, yet she learnt almost 12 different languages.

Tarika Banu

India’s first transgender student to clear the 12th Board exams (HSC exams), Tarika had run away from her home in Thoothukudi district at the age of 6 after realising that she wasn’t accepted for who she was.

Transgender activist Grace Banu adopted her and helped her in getting a new name, official identification and undergoing a sex reassignment surgery.

Kajal

Coastal Karnataka’s first transgender radio jockey, Kajal suffered from the deep distress of gender dysphoria at a young age.

She left her home at the age of 10 and settled in Mumbai’s Malad; got support by MGM college lecturer Manjunath Kamath, who connected her to Spandana Channel’s Avinash Kamath who trained her for two months to host shows.

Ganga Kumari

Rajasthan State Police Force’s first and India’s third transgender police, Ganga couldn’t get the post in 2015 because of her gender clarity issue and rules of appointment.

She struggled for two years to claim her right to don the uniform and serve the nation on 13 November 2017.

Mona Varonica Campbell

India’s plus-size transgender model, Mona experienced gender dysphoria early in childhood. She underwent hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and sex reassignment surgery with the help of her family.

She worked with numerous international brands before she opened the show for designer Wendell Rodricks at Lakmé Fashion Week.

Stay tuned for some more inspirational stories!

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December 9 was the birthday of Sonia Gandhi, President of Indian National Congress, and the hashtag #BarDancerDay was once again trending on our Twitter timelines.

And before I proceed, let me clarify that this was not the first time when the 74YO politician was derogated, both by her rivalries and the common countrymen!

The entire Twitter was blown up with derogatory memes and insulting jokes about Sonia Gandhi’s alleged career as a bar dancer in Italy before meeting Rajeev Gandhi and moving to India. The hashtag #BarDancerDay got so viral that even a Google search on ‘Italian bar dancer’ and ‘bar dancer of Italy in India’ started showing Sonia Gandhi in the featured section.

SONIA GANDHI AFTER WATCHING THIS TREND 😀😀😀😀 #BarDancer pic.twitter.com/GoxpBSg0fC
— कटर हिन्दू (@Anshuvirdhi1) April 23, 2020

But just for the purpose of clarification, Sonia Gandhi was born and brought up in Italy, and she did work as a bartender, not a bar dancer, in an Italian restaurant during her college days to manage her expenses.

But who am I to play jury to the authenticity of any of these claims or everything else the politician has been accused of so far; but the kind of reaction invoked by these hashtags and arguments is appalling, to say the least.

For everyone, who wish for a society to be equal and respectful to every person, despite the class, caste, gender or profession, this was nothing less than daylight torture as the Twitterattis were using the profession of bar dancer as abuse and insult to defame a woman.

I totally Condemn these #अंतरराष्ट्रीय_बार_डांसर_दिवस #BarDancerDay

Rather #KnowYourSonia
Feat. Dr. @Swamy39 ji
Link: https://t.co/7g4Bu5vAP4 pic.twitter.com/queMuacaPr
— Worshipping Peace (@Hinduismispeace) December 9, 2020

The misogyny existing in our Indian society is not something new that you would witness — people in our society are so grossly sexist that it hurts every time you think about it. And this incident proves that it’s not only men but also women who carry the ounce of misogyny in them.

The kind of comments made for the president of INC make you question yourself — that is this the new futuristic India they were planning? Or if we are really living in 2020? Weren’t we supposed to figure out the unemployment issues and the slow down the adverse climate change affect?

The saddest part about this whole incident is that the profession ‘bar dancer’ is being used as an insult to women — as if the women who work in bars and restaurants are filthy and do not deserve the right to live the same way as we do! And the set of men making such comments and insulting Gandhi using the term ‘bar dancer’ are exactly the same set of men who would go out to ‘ such places’, make these women feel inferior, calls them out unsanskari and yet seek enjoyment out of it!!

Sonia’s picture morphed on Marilyn Monroe (Source: Hoax or fact)

And let’s not forget the ever-increasing crime rate against women in our country; reminding us every second that the crime mindsets are just residing among us, probably making another derogatory comment against some woman on Twitter.

By mocking and insulting Sonia Gandhi for just working in a bar, millions of people have intentionally or unintentionally mocked and insulted thousands of those women who works in bars/ restaurants/ clubs to make their ends meet. This incident is a reflection of misogyny — the fact that how our society has evolved as ‘open-minded, modern, yet insensible and misogynistic’ and how far it can go just for the sake of bashing the political rivals.

There were ways to call someone out — one can argue, insult or debate in many respectful ways, a concept that our society is far from — but when it’s a woman at the receiving end of criticism, we forget our lihaaj and limits.

I guess it’s high time (no that high time has been here since forever) that we let go of this selective approach of respecting women and leave any form of prejudice behind. It doesn’t really take a lot to have basic human decency and respect for women (any gender, in fact) and it’s time that we should start practicing it.

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