Transgender Rights, Transgender Perks
Kate Bornstein
Posted July 1, 2008 | 01:52 PM (EST)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-bornstein/transgender-rights-transg_b_110060.htmlHijras are people who belong to a socially and spiritually recognized third gender in India. They are also the most universally-despised citizens of that country. When you're a hijra, you can't get a job. If you've got the courage to risk getting beaten up, you can go begging, or you can do sex work. That's about it. But hijras have an universally known and respected advantage: they have the power to bless or to curse. For example, you can't have a wedding in India--or give birth to a boy child--without hijras being present to bless the occasion. You certainly don't want one of their curses. Nevertheless, you're not likely to go long in your life as a hijra without being raped or beaten-up. That's what happens to sex and gender outlaws in most countries.
Okay, Here's What Got Me Thinking About Hijras
Earlier this week, I had the great pleasure to read some great news from the Associated Press. The Office of Children and Family Services in New York State has begun putting in place a piece of legislation that passed the State Assembly in Syracuse this past March 17th. Permit me to quote pieces of that article here:
