Femaling Males: Anthropological Analysis of the Transgender Community in Pakistan

Abstract

There is a widespread belief in Pakistani society that hijras or khusras1 are the people born with ambiguous genitals medically termed as hermaphrodites. Most people think that born as hijra refers to an organic condition; but contrary to this myth, in most cases, becoming a hijra is one’s own conscious attempt driving out of psychological and organic etiology. In this regard, we conducted an interesting anthropological study in Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab. We selected ninety-one different types of transgender for in-depth interviews and case studies from six deras2 from Ghanta Ghur Gol Bagh and its surroundings. We discovered several factors that persuade one to join the hijra community; they include a passion, a desire to express their feminine identity more explicitly, poor economic conditions and, above all, to live a carefree life. The hijras who are born intersexed have the highest status as this condition is rare in humans. Interestingly, in a sample of 91, only three were real hijras or khawaja sira, 57 were zenanas3 in the guise of hijras and 31 were nirban4. The study reveals that becoming a hijra entails many material and psychological advantages. As a career, it provides them opportunity to earn easy money through vadhai5, dance performance at disco bands, circus and prostitution. On the other hand it gives them personal autonomy and provides them excuse to win public sympathy. Their traditional role depends upon their individual talent, ability to face hostility and ridicule. In short, Pakistani hijras do possess contradicting virtues of masculinity and femininity and Pakistani mainstream culture does have room for them to survive under the shadow of sexual variance.