Portraits depict the 'quiet dignity' of India's third gender hijra community
 

Portraits depict the 'quiet dignity' of India's third gender hijra community
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Transgender, trans***ual, third gender — for centuries in India, the many subtle distinctions of the trans community have fallen into one category: the hijra

See also: 8 beautiful posters to mark Transgender Day of Resilience


A hijra can be an individual born with dual or ambiguous genitalia, a eunuch, someone who has undergone gender-related surgery or a cross-dresser. Hijras are often featured in Bollywood ******, as well as A.R. Rahman and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Bombay Dreams.

In a poignant portrait ******, "Nirvan, the Third Gender of India," photographer Jill Peters interviewed Indian hijras. Peters **ticed on a visit to India that hijras face constant discrimination and difficulty, even though they have been a visible part of India's culture for centuries. Her project's goal is to reverse the stigma Read more...

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