Hijras

A helpful way of understanding just how artificial gender performances are is to examine the way they manifest themselves cross-culturally.  The different ways in which we are each enculturated greatly impact the way we view our experience of our own bodies.

My experiences in India spoke greatly to this.  While I was on a train, a woman who was wearing a sari roughly tapped me.  She clapped her hands and stuck them out and forcefully beckoned to me, clearly waiting for me to give her money.  As I looked closer, I saw that her features were very traditionally masculine.  As I watched him/her continue on down the row of seats to each person and repeat the same clapping and demand, I was surprised to see many people reach in their pockets hand him/her some money.  Often, I had seen people wave beggars away, but these people were not as dismissive of this particular beggar.  I asked my neighbor about this phenomenon, and he explained to me that this person was a hijra: a man-woman who begged to make money.  It is inauspicious to refuse them.  The man seemed derisive, so I did not pursue the topic further with him. 

Later, in my psychological anthropology class, we were invited to examine a cultural phenomenon of our choice, and I decided to study hijras.  I discovered that they are born biologically male, and choose to remove their penis and testes in order to become sexless.  They often live in communities with other hijras, but some live alone or with partners.  Their origin is found in Hindu scriptures, in a creation story, and although they are sworn to be celibate, many become prostitutes to earn a living.  This is what fascinated me most about studying hijras is the idea that other religions than Christianity allow for much more fluid gender identities than simply “Adam and Eve” male and female binaries.  In Hindu stories, the gods switch between the genders, as they desire.  This leaves space for people like hijras, who consider themselves to be neither male nor female.  Often people are confused about this identification.  They wear women’s clothing; so many assume that they are attempting to become female.  In fact, this ambiguity allows them to behave in ways that Indian women would be punished for.  For example, some particularly mischievous hijras will flash their genital area to offending individuals.  This bodily exposure would not be tolerated from a female, but since they are not females, they often get away with it.  In this way, they make a commentary about the rigid sexual taboos that Indian women often face. This is not to say that they do not face their own persecution.  They are harassed and abused by other Indians for being different for the norm. 

I wanted to ask the class a few things: Why do you think that modern Indian society has such a strong dislike of hijras?  Why do you think they fear them so deeply?  Are there any passages of Christian text that support gender fluidity and reject binaries?  

Just wanted to cite my source for the information in the second paragraph:

Nanda, Serena. Neither Man nor Woman: The Hijras of India. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1990. Print.