Identity And Acceptance: A Study Of Transgender In Manipur

Abstract

Transgender is an umbrella term that covers all those persons who do not conform to the traditional binary system of the sex-gender dichotomy. Those who fail to enact gender identity with their genital configuration cast doubt on the validity of the sex-gender category. Gender, the social construction of identity as either male or female, is embodied with appropriate social roles that make them accepted as social beings. Subsequently, the notions of masculinity and femininity further act as reinforcing agents for proper gender roles. In the transgender spectrum, this paper focuses on those individuals who are biologically born male but changed their gender to female. In contemporary Manipur, transgender people (male to female) identify themselves as “Nupi Maanbi." Nupi in Manipuri means female, and maanbi means look alike. The transgender identity of femininity, their manifestation as a female, and their gender role in mainstream Manipuri society are being criticized for overexposure in terms of dressing up and their pattern of speech. Albeit the legal recognition made by the Indian Constitution, transgender people in Manipuri society face various forms of discrimination in the social and cultural domain of womanhood, and the acceptance of their identity is still contested. This article will explore the identity of Nupi Maanbi, their everyday lived experience through the process of coming out, and the idea of community feeling that develops consequently in their community.