You’ll first have to get past the horde of reporters. And even before you catch a glimpse of her, you hear her loud voice! And that’s what she believes in doing, making sure she is heard loud and clear so that she can fight for the transgender community. We’re talking about A. Revathi, the transgender whose book, The Truth about Me: A Hijra Life story, was released in Telugu, Nijam Chepthunna, Oka Hijra Atmakatha.
Much has been written about Revathi’s struggle as a woman trapped in a man’s body and how she came to terms with life. “I want it to be easier for people to tell their families. Families need to accept us as we are,” she says, adding, “The discrimination remains and it feels terrible because we aren’t treated like humans.”
Revathi, who was a sex-worker, points out that while everyone is fighting for the safety of women, their community is excluded from it. “If a man misbehaves with anyone from our community or even rapes one of us, we can’t go to the police. We’re left to look out for ourselves,” she says.
Even renting out a home is a challenge and jobs are almost impossible. “I have no money to give my community, neither do I have the means to buy them homes. But, I can give them the strength and I will stand by them while they fight for their rights,” she asserts.
