DAUGHTERS OF GOD:
THE DAILY LIFE OF TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH INDIA
As a French photojournalist of Indian origin, since I was a child, I have been fascinated by their beauty and courage to thwart the expectations of one of the most patriarchal and conservative societies. So I decided to discover their daily life.
Tamil Nadu, Madukkarai – December 2021 Savitha followed this regular client to Madukkarai, about 400 kilometers west of Pondicherry. He treats me well; he's nice to me, so I let him pay less when I need to make money quickly. This time, she asks him for only 300 rupees (3 pounds), way below her usual price of 1,500 rupees (15 pounds). Jennifer Carlos © All rights reserved.
Savitha, Sangeena, Sathana, Geetha, Marthula, Rossi, Seethal, Srija, and Pappima are part of transgender communities in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu: the Thirunangais, those means in Tamil the daughters of God. In southern India, this is what they are called, in reference to the Goddess of fertility and chastity, Bahuchara Mata, of whom these people, neither men nor women, would be the descendants, according to the Hindu religion.
Tamil Nadu, Ariyankuppam – November 2021 Savitha (on the left) and her mother Amahi (53 years old). Her mother threw her out when she was 11 years old but asked her to come back when she was 19 after learning that she had transitioned and had become a sex worker. Jennifer Carlos © All rights reserved.
India has recognized the existence of the third sex since 2014 and decriminalized homosexuality four years later.
This story is from the April 2022 edition of Lens Magazine.
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This story is from the April 2022 edition of Lens Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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