[Bella]

From China's almost first gay pageant to India's first transgender beauty pageant!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8480131.stm

As Sonia swayed to a popular Bollywood song, striking model-like poses, a small crowd of activists and journalists cheered her on.

She was the first of about 20 contestants at auditions held in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) for the "Super Queen" - India's first transgender beauty contest.

Auditions to become India's first "Super Queen" are going to be held in cities across India over the next few weeks.

The semi-finals will be held in Mumbai and the finals will be hosted in Delhi on 21 February.

Electric dancer

The Mumbai leg of the auditions started off quietly. But as contestants got over their nerves, things became charged.

The community has had to stay in the closet for 262 years and this contest will provide them a platform
Laxmi Narayan, pageant organiser

The star of the day was Nishi Sheikh, who attracted the most attention with her electric blue dress and deft dance moves.

As she walked in, some in the crowds whispered that she was the Priyanka Chopra (a Bollywood star) of the community.

She danced to a popular Bollywood number and the judges, the audience and other participants all hooted and cheered for her.

"I am very different. I perform in different countries," she told the BBC.

"I consider myself to be gay and I do not really live a life which most of my community members live. I go for international performances. For me making good money and taking care of my family is most important. I am here to support the cause."

While the unremitting media attention excited many participants, it was perturbing for others.

Some of the contestants were obviously nervous but others exceeded everyone's expectations with their sensual moves, fashionable clothing and supermodel looks.

Laxmi Narayan, the pageant's organiser and a social activist, encouraged all the entrants throughout.

No regular jobs

Reena, who works in the field of HIV prevention when she is not entering beauty contests, had come from the western Indian city of Nagpur.


Reena is a graduate and may have had a chance of getting a regular job had she not been a transgender. Reena is a graduate and a HIV campaigner

"I live with my parents and have a brother who does a regular job. I don't know if these initiatives will directly help us but we try."

In the question-and-answer part of the contest, Reena simply said she loved dancing and loved her parents.


The participants had to parade on a ramp, introduce themselves and face a question-and-answer round.

The organisers say that holding a beauty contest will not only help transgender people feel more confident about their sexuality but that it will also attract attention to serious issues like HIV/Aids and help community members get more mainstream jobs.

"We will train them [the winners of the contest] to be leaders in the community. This contest is a historical moment. The community has had to stay in the closet for 262 years and this contest will provide them a platform," Ms Narayan said.

She said she wanted "hijras" (or eunuchs) to be in regular jobs.

"For a community member, to be loved with dignity is the biggest thing. Hijras enjoy womanhood to the extreme."

Hijras in India live on the fringes of society, traditionally making a living by dancing at weddings or at celebrations for the birth of a child.

The term is used to describe members of the hermaphrodite, transvestite and transsexual communities.

Many have been pushed into the sex trade and are considered to be at high risk of contracting HIV.

'Happy experience'

Ashwini, an activist and a trained performer of lawni - the traditional folk dance of western Maharashtra state - says she will continue performing once the beauty contest is over.

"I can dance and sing almost every lawni song. I have even performed with important lawni dancers in this state. I do not have the height to win a beauty contest but I want to see how this is conducted. I am happy with the experience."

From the 20-odd contestants who participated in the auditions in Mumbai, the organisers finally shortlisted three.

The nation's ultimate Super Queen winner will get approximately $21,000 and will be trained to help the community in human rights and HIV prevention.

She may even get a regular job - something most members of the community need and covet.

[Plaro]

Welcome in the moral degradation.

[Igor Antunov]

Frankly, who cares. However, these 'women' are damn ugly.

[Bella]

^
Are you saying that you might care if these "women" were beautiful?

I think it's always interesting when there is a sign of progress for certain minority groups in traditionally conservative countries.

[Plaro]

You call this progress?

[Godstud]

The nation's ultimate Super Queen winner will get approximately $21,000 and will be trained to help the community in human rights and HIV prevention.

That's moral degradation or lack of progress?

[unbalanced zealot]

UZ Moderator note: I'm going to watch this thread and simply delete any improper commentary.

One line posts are discouraged within this thread and are likely to be deleted unless they make a worthwhile contribution to the discussion.

[Quantum]

Oh yes, this pageant constitutes progress. It's great to see that India is flushing its sanity down the toilet by tolerating these shows and joining the ranks of the West in moral degradation. I don't accept that these surgically altered men are women at all and society shouldn't pretend that these people are women, as they were born biologically male. Maybe by the end of this year, India will witness the first pregnant "man" giving birth in hospital and celebrate the occurrence.

[Godstud]

Yeah, this stuff never ever takes place already in Thailand and other SE Asian places. It's exclusive only to the West.

Oh wait! There are no trans-gender beauty pageants in the West!

[Bella]

It isn't only "surgically altered men" but

Hijras in India live on the fringes of society, traditionally making a living by dancing at weddings or at celebrations for the birth of a child.

The term is used to describe members of the hermaphrodite, transvestite and transsexual communities.

Some of them were born hermaphrodites. Mother Nature can be cruel like that.

This is a community that has had to stay in the closet for about 200 years. I don't see this as moral degradation but I suppose it's all based on one's perception.

[Aekos]

This is a community that has had to stay in the closet for about 200 years. I don't see this as moral degradation but I suppose it's all based on one's perception.

I am fairly socially liberal but this is where I draw the line. When you start blurring the two genders and start talking about a separation between the concepts of "gender" and "sex," you start encouraging gross androgynous-type behavior and cause the collapse of society as we know it. While there may be something biological about why these men dress up like women and take drugs to look more feminine, it should not be encouraged or publicized.

[Igor Antunov]

the collapse of society as we know it.

You're exaggerating. There are 7 billion people that compose thousands of various cultures, a few million shemales aren't even going to register on the social radar.

[Plaro]

You're exaggerating. There are 7 billion people that compose thousands of various cultures, a few million shemales aren't even going to register on the social radar.

It will be noticed through events like this and media publication, that claims that this is the noble achievement of humankind. The question is why do people want to look at shemales, why make this public, why do we have to hear so much about this minute portion of population?

That's moral degradation or lack of progress?

There are numerous other ways to prevent HIV, without making this public especially for the younger audience, like Igor.

[valken09]

This is a community that has had to stay in the closet for about 200 years. I don't see this as moral degradation but I suppose it's all based on one's perception.

So promoting this "Practice" isn't? Are you saying that it is not wrong to actually publicize this? Then what about the young naive one's who has yet mastered the ability to reason which is right from wrong, will them being indirectly victimize isn't wrong as well?
Hermaphrodites has long existed, that I agree. But as Igor has said, it shouldn't be an open public matter to "brag" about.

[Godstud]

If a 'young one' is naive and cannot tell right from wrong yet(usually prior to 6 years old), then it really doesn't matter since sexual orientation and gender means nothing to them yet. It, therefore, isn't 'victimizing them' in any possible way.

It's not whether or no a hermaphrodite has to brag about something but accpting the hermaphrodite for who they are. Many do want to be considered beautiful and why deny them a pageant to demonstrate this? It's not about bragging.

[sans-culotte]

I am fairly socially liberal but this is where I draw the line. When you start blurring the two genders and start talking about a separation between the concepts of "gender" and "sex," you start encouraging gross androgynous-type behavior and cause the collapse of society as we know it.

What's wrong with that? Gender roles have been pretty malleable across time and societies.

While there may be something biological about why these men dress up like women and take drugs to look more feminine, it should not be encouraged or publicized.

Gender is social, not biological

[Aekos]

What's wrong with that? Gender roles have been pretty malleable across time and societies.

This isn't as much about gender roles as about making it clear that in a civilized society there are two distinct genders. Crossdressing, for example, should not be encouraged. Sure, there are people who are born hermaphrodites, but they are often born with a "dominant" gender and there are simple surgeries that can make them male or female.

Gender is social, not biological

And as such it serves a very important role.

[sans-culotte]

This isn't as much about gender roles as about making it clear that in a civilized society there are two distinct genders. Crossdressing, for example, should not be encouraged. Sure, there are people who are born hermaphrodites, but they are often born with a "dominant" gender and there are simple surgeries that can make them male or female.

The statement about there being "two distinct genders" is false, since it's obviously not the case, there are more genders than that in any civilization.
Your statement than means that there should be only two genders - why is this?

And as such it serves a very important role.

Which is?