<i>Kinnars</i> at Traffic Signals: Contesting Gender and Space

ABSTRACT In India, transgender persons are legally recognized as the “third gender” or “other” gender and have the same status as that of any female or male person. Despite this, the underrepresentation and the marginalization of the transgender community continue in mainstream society in the form of spatial restrictions they confront every day. The acute spatial restrictions not only confine their rights and freedom but also constrain their livelihood possibilities and access to metropolitan spaces. At the same time, across major cities across India and South Asia, it is a common sight to see transgender individuals stopping motorists at traffic signals and asking for money. Their begging and demanding money from the passing commuters has become a way of life and subsistence. This phenomenon highlights the problems of discrimination and lack of integration that the community continues to face in these societies, which makes it difficult for them to find employment. By focusing on this phenomenon, this paper intends to understand the spatial practices of the transgender community that defy societal norms. It further explores the impact of gender on spaces and how unconventional spatial practices can disrupt the traditional division of urban areas. The paper also explores how transgender persons occupying traffic signals blur the boundaries between private and public spaces and create a sense of ambiguity and fluidity that challenges conventional notions of gender and space.