Photo Story: The Third Sex
Getty photographer looks at life as a transgendered Muslim.
November 11, 2009
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/2210885/story.html (http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/2210885/story.html)
Maryani poses at a special prayer school for transgendered Muslims or 'waria' on November 9, 2009 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The Koran school was founded in July 2008 by the 48-year old Maryani as a place for waria to pray. Islam strictly segregates men from women when praying, leaving nowhere for 'the third sex' waria to pray before now. There are now estimated to be around 300 men who prefer to live as women in Yogyakarta, many of whom work in the sex industry as the only option to make a living.