The ID-card states that Rishi is a woman, while he looks like a man. This makes everything difficult; he can neither rent a home nor study, let alone apply for a job. In Bangladesh, trans men have no rights.
After I came out as a transman, I faced a completely new reality. My family is ashamed of me, and they claim that I damage their reputation. My brothers still introduce me as their cousin, says Rishi.
Rishi came out as a trans man four years ago, when he started with hormone treatment and the physical transformation from woman to man. For a long time this was his deepest secret – as for many other trans persons, who are suffering related to their gender identity.
– Young trans men are struggling with their gender identity. They are being harassed by their family, friends and teachers. Gradually they become frustrated and suicidal at an early age, Rishi explains.
Discrimination and hatred
In Bangladesh, trans men have no legal rights, and are neither socially nor legally accpepted for who they are. LGBT rights are heavily suppressed, and homosexuality is illegal under Bangladeshi law, and the punishment for homosexuals is up to life imprisonment. Human Rights Watch states that discrimation against LGBT people is pervasive in Bangladesh, and that it is dangerous to come out in society because of social rejection, hate, assault or even murder.
– I’ve gone through the physical transformation from woman to man, and I do no longer look like the person on my ID-card. I can’t rent a home, study, apply for a job or get any social benefits as my ID-card and my credentials no longer match my current gender and name. In short, I am no longer the person on my ID-card, and I am left with nothing. Life is hard, says Rishi.
Dreaming of recognition
Being a trans man has a lot of stigma attached to it, and Rishi is hoping to change this:
– I wish to help others. To make the transition from woman to man easier than what it was for me. For instance: you cannot have an operation to change gender in Bangladesh, nor can you have hormone treatment. This can only be done in India. But most of all, I wish to help people facing the mental transition and all related challenges.
The main goal of the support-group is to get acceptance for transgender people when it comes to official documents in Bangladesh. This is the most pressing issue to ensure a normal life for them. India and Thailand have come a long way in this regard, and Rishi has faith that Bangladesh will reach there as well
– I am happy about the person I am now, despite the massive challenges. I am no longer trapped in the wrong body, and that means more than anything, Rishi concludes.