“Transgender means a person who has a gender identity different from their biological sex or what they had been assigned at birth. The trans umbrella encompasses all other gender identities except for cis-gender identity. Gender is a social construct and each individual has a unique way of understanding theirs. Multiple gender identities exist, and several individuals’ experience of gender is more fluid and not as rigid,” explains Pranay Javeri, mental health team in-charge, All India Queer Association.

There is an acute lack of awareness regarding issues concerning the trans community which leads to discrimination. It has been widely observed that even within the LGBTQIA+ community, trans folk struggle to get acceptance, validation, and respect from cis-gender queer people. “As a cis-gender individual my perspective is limited, but what I have observed through my research and work is that trans people have to fight for validation and basic human rights. Their gender identity is invalidated by society, law, and government policies repeatedly. They are forced to fit in the gender binary and the cis-normative world which acts as a constant stressor and leaves a long lasting impact. They suffer from gender dysphoria because the society is so rigid and transphobic to accept that not everyone is cisgender,” adds Javeri.