News: India elects its first transgender mayor

Mekitor

India elects its first transgender mayor... who months before was scraping together a living by singing and dancing on trains

Quote:

Madhu Bai Kinnar won the Raigarh election by more than 4,500 votes
The Dalit-caste member put herself forward after request by her community
'I consider this win as love and blessings of people for me,' she said

Ground breaking: Madhu Bai Kinnar, centre, has become India's first-ever transgender mayor after abandoning her life of singing and dancing for change to put herself forward to represent her community

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Just months ago she was scratching out a living singing and dancing on trains for a few rupees from commuters.

But now Madhu Bai Kinnar is leading her community as India's first transgender mayor - a dramatic election result that upends cultural mores in the traditionally conservative country.

Kinnar won the election in Raigarh in the central state of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, beating her rival from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by more than 4,500 votes.

'People have shown faith in me': Kinnar, who is a member of the Dalit caste previously known as the 'untouchables', put herself forward for election when she was asked to represent her community

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Television pictures showed the 35-year-old draped in a saree and with a large red bindi on her forehead, folding her hands and greeting supporters who placed marigold garlands around her neck amid strobing camera flashes.

Kinnar, a member of the Dalit caste previously known as the 'untouchables', put herself forward for election when she was asked to represent her community.

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Kinnar's win comes nine months after India's top court ruled that transgenders be legally recognised as gender-neutral.

Often known as 'hijras' in South Asia, transgenders are classified as people who have had sex change operations or who regard themselves as the opposite of their born gender.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz3O32c6AbF
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lonnie

buckingfastard

We have a long way to go interms of LGBTQ rights but we have started taking some steps and I am glad we did

Vulps

Too bad the LGBT community still has z3r0 rights there.

Igrt

Congrats,

But yes LGBT has quite a ways to go.

JungleDisturbia

This is an amazing step.

Priyanka Chopra

Quote:

Originally posted by Vulps

Too bad the LGBT community still has z3r0 rights there.

The T community does!

Hijras are seen as a third sex in Hindu influenced cultures, even in Pakistan because of its Hindu history.

People think hijras are eunuchs or hermaphrodites so that helps them. If they knew what many really are maybe they would have it harder...

Sad to say it's easier to be a hijra than a gay man. A study showed that many hijras are actually gay men who opted to be women because they feel it's better, not because they're actually trans.

Mezter

This is great!

Ethereal

Quote:

Originally posted by Priyanka Chopra

The T community does!

Hijras are seen as a third sex in Hindu influenced cultures, even in Pakistan because of its Hindu history.

People think hijras are eunuchs or hermaphrodites so that helps them. If they knew what many really are maybe they would have it harder...

Sad to say it's easier to be a hijra than a gay man. A study showed that many hijras are actually gay men who opted to be women because they feel it's better, not because they're actually trans.

The last paragraph is nothing but the truth

KillingYourCareer

This is amazing, considering it's in a generally homophobic country like India

Priyanka Chopra

Quote:

Originally posted by KillingYourCareer

This is amazing, considering it's in a generally homophobic country like India

No its not.

Gay people don't get attacked or harassed and seeing trans women on the street is normal. Hijras are everywhere.

Luzianne