The HIjras, the Third Sex
In India, the term “Hijra” is employed to describe individuals who identify themselves as transgender or transsexual. However, unlike numerous other societies that have only recently begun to acknowledge these identities, Hijras have been an integral part of Indian culture since ancient times, as even suggested in the Kāma Sūtra.
It was not until April 2014 that India’s Supreme Court officially recognized transgender individuals as a distinct “third sex” through a dedicated law addressing official legal documents. It appears that their government was somewhat sluggish in responding to this matter.
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