Thiruvananthapuram: The student who committed suicide at the private Panavila hostel here on Monday was female-assigned at birth but identified as a male. The police said he ended his life because he was going through trauma as he wanted to undergo Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS). His family was reportedly against the surgery, according to the police.
Surgery might be the only way out for a majority of transgender persons who undergo severe distress because of ‘gender identity dysphoria’ (GID), according to Vihaan Peethambar, transgender activist and board member of the LGBT organisation Queerala. “Imagine how difficult it would be if you are a woman with a beard or a man who is undergoing menstruation. Because of gender identity dysphoria, the discomfort with your male or female body can be so intense, that it can affect your daily functioning. Surgical transitioning is sometimes the only way a transgender person can tackle GID,” he says.
The psychiatrist that the deceased approached for SRS-related consultation had reportedly told him that surgery can be done only with parental consent. “What most people don’t understand is that GID can be fatal. The extreme anxiety, depression and distress that it causes can lead a TG person to suicide,” says Vihaan.
Legally parental consent is needed for surgeries only in the case of minors. However, consent from the family is sought because it is an important social factor, says Dr Varghese Punnoose, president, Indian Psychiatric Society, Kerala Branch. "Family consent is sought in any surgery. Who would be the bystander?" he asks.
However, he adds that the TG community would often come to the aid of a TG person. In this case however, the deceased had not contacted any community-based organisation, though there are so many organisations in Thiruvananthapuram.
