In Nepal, the term \u2018third gender\u2019 has been used, which is derived from root word tritiya prakriti (\u2018person of third nature\u2019 in sanskrit language). There were more than two genders recognised in the East and South Asia, and most of African and other indigenous societies until Christianity or Islam took over .<\/p>\n
Gender variant people have existed throughout the world and across time, celebrated in some cultures, denigrated in others. Some societies did not just recognize people who embodied a gender identity beyond the binary, for example, hijra, kothi, maruni, janana, nastri, napumshak communities in South Asia, two-spirit people among some Native American cultures, waria, kathoi in Southeast Asia and Fa\u2019afafine in Pacific Islander communities, they were\/are well respected and had\/have important roles largely accepted by all, to play in society.<\/p>\n
While the blunt classificatory instruments of colonial rule imposed new and bureaucratic restrictions on gender assignment\/self-identification, these communities persisted, and continue to this day to provide alternate ways of thinking about gender, that evade the externally imposed binary classification.<\/p>\n
Now, due to centuries of long and ardent missionary propaganda, and the role of the western media, these cultural influences are so strong that even these above mentioned people of third nature don\u2019t wish to use their traditional identity to introduce themselves, and often prefer the English word \u2018transgender\u2019. It\u2019s important to note here that the word \u2018third\u2019 does not mean third in terms of a ranking order. Instead it just means not so obvious, special, middle gender; something similar to the meaning when we say \u2018the third eye\u2019, indicating thereby merely the fact that there are more than two.<\/p>\n
These communities of non binary genders thus have to face a dilemma in their thinking process. Substituting western\/modern words for the terms traditionally used to signify gender have become an easy way out for them, instead of accepting and living out who they are culturally conditioned to be bodywise, emotionally, and spiritually.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s try to understand with an example. What\u2019s the thought when one says, \u201cI am (born) in a wrong body.\u201d? Where is this notion of the \u2018wrong body\u2019 coming from? What\/who made you believe that you are in a \u2018wrong body\u2019? Who taught you and made you believe that some \u2018other body\u2019 is the \u2018right body\u2019 for you, instead of the one you were born with?<\/p>\n
Westerm theology and myths tells us that when God created the world (stars, sun, moon, rivers, valleys, trees, animals, food), he created a man (Adam). After a while, the God realised that the man he created was lonely and needed a helper\/companion. He decided to create a woman to help and entertain that man, Adam, and thus created a woman, Eva.<\/p>\n
Thus according to Western faith\/culture system (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), God did not create any gender other than man and woman. This is at the very root of the binary that is being imposed today. This faith tradition impacts transgender persons adversely. It lays down that a male can only become a man, a female can only become a woman. Other options, whereby if a male wishes to become a woman (or vice versa), are seen as antithetical to the grand plan laid out by God. It\u2019s thus understood as something that we mere mortals should not interfere with or tamper. To try to do so is variously seen as unnatural, sinful, and even criminal.<\/p>\n
But in Eastern faith traditions and culture systems there is no creator god! \u2018Creation\u2019 is not an exclusive phenomenon, and is instead an integral part of a long drawn out and cyclical process, wherein creation, it\u2019s sustainance, and it\u2019s destruction are all part and parcel of the same continuous long cycle and are intimately linked to each other. Thus anything that has \u2018existence\u2019 is a part of the magic of this eternal cycle, and there is no value judgment attached to it. Everyhing, and every phenomenon in nature is \u2018natural\u2019. Human beings are not competent to question this grand scheme, nor capable of attaching value driven interpretations of right and wrong on natural phenomenons. Human beings become part of this cycle through their actions (Karma), and every concequence in the life of an individual is a result of their karma.<\/p>\n
Thus men, women, and several other genders are part of humanity and part of nature and existence. They all are living their own \u2018karma\u2019. Therefore one cannot say that any one gender is better or \u2018more right\u2019 than any other gender. Hence, no one can be urged to become a man or a woman. One is what one is, naturally, as a consequence of past karma, and that\u2019s that. Therefore historically everyone were, (and still are in many indigenous communities) respected regardless of their gender and sexual identity.<\/p>\n
In the mid 18th century, judeo Christian morality was given the imprimatur of \u2018scientific pathology\u2019, and homosexuality was classified as a mental illness. This happned likely under the influence of that set of biblical ideas wherein sodomy is sinful, women were created to help and entertain men, and copulation was sanctioned only within heterosexual matrimony (preferably in the missionary position).<\/p>\n
Until a few decades ago, and very much within recent memory, even in supposedly advanced and modern countries like USA and UK, homosexual people were diagnosed as mentally sick. Thus even the scientific edifice of modern society worked towards conditioning many gays and lesbians to start believing that they had a mental disorder. Many cruel and inhuman therapies, including electric shock therapy and overdoses of numbing drugs were administered to \u2018change people\u2019. Of course, since it was not \u2018science\u2019 but instead morality driven prejudices that created the so called pathology in the first place, none of these therapies actually worked.<\/p>\n
Since the early 80s of last century, gay rights activists fought against such unscientific claims, and the harm such pseudo-sciences caused. As a result, homosexually was finally removed from the list of mental health disorders.<\/p>\n
The cycle of pain, suffering, and discrimination that gay men underwent, and their successful struggle to engineer change and claim their rights, is today being replicated for persons whose gender indentification defies the binary of man and woman and the straightjacketed roles assigned to each.<\/p>\n
The structures that contribute to creating dominant discources and ideas is heavily influenced by the West, and sadly, it is still stuck with the pathologising diagnosis of gender dysphoria attributed to those persons whose gender characteristics or features differ from the accepted binary of men and woman. Not surprisingly this time too, it is driven by the same biblical belief, and Judeo Christian morality. Often the religiously leaning conservatives are at the forefront of driving this psudo science.<\/p>\n
Such unquestioned faith driven attitude is deep rooted and strong. Under the influence of religious scholars, whose dominance in thought enginnering has been at work for many many centuries, today many persons of differing gender characteristics and features themselves believe that they have gender dysphoria. They end up seeking unnecessary, costly, and potentially harmful treatments including sex reassignment surgery, hormone therapy etc. Having been made to believe such biblical propaganda, they regard not being a man or woman as a social and pathological problem. They end up thinking that they are in the wrong body.<\/p>\n
Eastern philosophy creates space for everyone, thus instead of problematising something that is natural, it creates a support structure that\u2019s inclusive. It\u2019s terminology is also therefore inclusive. Third Gender is such a term. It breaks and extends the binary of man and woman to include those that are not. It therefore also fosters a society where it\u2019s OK to be different without having to militate against or tamper with one\u2019s body.<\/p>\n
Occidental philosophy by contrast is about pathology and transformation, with the end goal being to conform to standards set by the outside. It\u2019s not about acceptance and creating space for everyone, but about tampering to fit a pre-set mould. Thus also it\u2019s terminology. \u2018Trans\u2019 means change. It seeks to tamper what\u2019s naturally present, to change it. And to do this it convinces anyone who does not conform that they not only have a problem, but that they are a problem. It creates self conflicted mindsets.<\/p>\n
It is important to explore this further, so let us enumerate this out? Problems of unquestioningly accepting trangenderism on faith:<\/p>\n
1) Trangenderism establishes the wrong notion that to be a human up to par, one must become a man or a woman. Otherwise, one becomes less of a human. Because of this belief, one tries everything, including sex reassignment surgery, to become a man or a woman.<\/p>\n
2) It devalues diversity among humans with regards to sexual and gender identity while reinforcing the binary gender system, thereby making everyone who do not conform to sexual\/gender norms feel bad\/low about themselves, reinforces low self-esteem, and indirectly supports patriarchal norms, which idolises heterosexuality.<\/p>\n
3) It results in unnecessary medical intervention to alter one\u2019s nature, which potentially can bring physical, mental, and health problems in life at any time. Such medical interventions are costly, and while slightly easier for male to female gender transitioning, they are extremely difficult and far more expensive for female to male gender transition, which is unfair to the latter.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, there are other practical problems associated with transgenders that have been discussed extensively and openly in the last few decades. For example we can takee the issue of transgender people\u2019s participation in sports. The issue of sporting ethics arises because allowing transwomen to compete along with other women in sports seems to provide an unfair advantage to transwomen, but permission for transmen to compete along with men, creates a distinct disadvantages for the majority of teamsmen.<\/p>\n
If one sees the fact that women\u2019s sports was separated out from men\u2019s sports because women\u2019s and men\u2019s physiologies are different, then one fails to see the logic of allowing transmen to compete in men\u2019s sports and\/or transwomen to compete in women\u2019s sports. The only explanation that fits this insistence is that of the orthodoxy of gender binary, wherein everyone has to fit into one of the two set criteria, and even if \u2018naturally existing\u2019 in reality, a third (or fourth) category will not be acknowledged or created.<\/p>\n
Many eastern, African, and other indegenous faiths and cultures have historically accepted, and some are still accepting of, more than two genders. In some cultures, 5 or even 7 genders have been acknowledged and accepted. In the Tantra tradition as practiced in the mountain regions, all these genders were considered divine. Every gender had\/have their important roles to play in these societies. No one was\/is considered sick, or weak, or diseased, because their gender trait is different from the norm. It is a proper and unconditional celebraton of gender diversity. To be born male but to grow up with feminine features and presentations if that is one\u2019s nature is a cause of celebration. Smilarly, to be born female and to grow with masculine features and presentations, if that is one\u2019s nature is celebrated too. Intersexed people are\/were considered having special devine powers and well respected.<\/p>\n
We see therefore that in these societies, unlike in the west, no one was\/is needed to transit from their core self, their nature, their \u2018prakriti\u2019. One can simply be who one is and still be celebrated and valued. No one has to consider their natural state as being pathologically afflicted. The inherent human dignity of everyone is preserved and protected without interference. It is a culture where patriarchy has as much weight as matriarchy, and both are equally valued.<\/p>\n
Nepal government has introduced policy that requires medical certificate of sex change surgery if one wishes to apply for citizenship identity documents that recognise their gender as different from their sex at birth. One fails to understand why the Nepal government cannot find the moral courage to rely on the wisdom and inclusivity fostered by Nepal\u2019s inclusive, rich, dignity-reinforcing customs, faith-traditions, and culture.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a misfortune of cultural genocidal proportions when a government is motivated by imported morality, customs, and ideas, to create legal frameworks that oppressed its citizens. While ignoring the much better, inclusive and rights-affirming traditions are available right at home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In Nepal, the term \u2018third gender\u2019 has been used, which is derived from root word tritiya prakriti (\u2018person of third nature\u2019 in sanskrit language). There were more than two genders recognised in the East and South Asia, and most of African and other indigenous societies until Christianity or Islam took over .
\nGender variant people have existed throughout the world and across time, celebrated in some cultures, denigrated in others. Some societies did not just recognize people who embodied a gender identity beyond the binary, for example, hijra, kothi, maruni, janana, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":12805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,1081,8,621,492,490,3],"tags":[543],"class_list":["post-12804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-issue","category-explanationawareness","category-human-rights","category-news","category-opinion","category-slider","category-society","tag-gay-rights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12804"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12806,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12804\/revisions\/12806"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}