Transcription
Today we start a new season of Shhh - the talkshow, and this new season is supported by Internews. This collaboration hopes to bring you many taboo topics that are not discussed enough in society, and bring to you topics that have been ignored, so we hope you stay tuned.
Today on the Shhh the talk show, we're talking about trans sex workers in Sri Lanka. Many people shun the words transgender sex workers, shocked that they exist, but they live in the same society as we do. They're just another group of people. So on today's episode, we hope you learn more about them, that you will be sensitive to their experiences, and that you will agree that they also deserve respect like we do, because we can be considerate that they are humans like us. And so I invite you to watch today's episode with an open mind and sensitivity. Thank you very much.
Today we have come to speak to two special guests on Shhh the Talkshow. That is Sakuni and Kiruli.
What was your childhood like? How did you spend it?
As a trans person, my family consisted of my father, mother, four sisters, me, and my little sister. There was some confusion. There was a little sadness. Because living with 5 women, I wished I was a woman too. But my parents were understanding, and I was never discriminated against or treated differently.
Was there any moment in your life, in your younger years, when you realized you were born in the wrong body? Was there any incident that led to you realizing it?
I was a boy when I was in school. I mostly hung out with the girls of that school. The boys in class would keep bullying me, asking, "Are you a girl? Why are you with the girls all the time?" Then at around 13 or 14 years old, I felt like I was in the wrong body. I felt wrong.
Was there anyone you could talk to about that feeling?
There was no one. Things like transgender was not okay at home.
How was it for you, Sakuni?
In school, I was very knowledgeable. I was never discriminated against in school.
Nobody questioned you?
No, nobody asked questions, because in class, there were two others just like me. If there was any trouble I faced, they would rush to my defence. The other thing is that I often asked myself, "Why am I wearing these shirts and pants? I wish I could wear a white dress." But that was not possible because I was in school. Most times, it wasn't society that caused me issues. It was my own relatives. I was not very close to my father's family, although I was very close to my mother's side. Even now, I don't talk much to my aunts, not even if I see them on the road. In those days, if there was any kind of family event, I hated going. My mother, father, and sisters supported me and didn't go either, because I was more important to them. Good parents don't usually discard their children. That's why I keep telling society, "If you had a child like me, would you kill it? No, right?" That's what parents are, and siblings. If I had a brother in my family, perhaps I might have been a little different. But it was many women, so I was comfortable as one of them. My father would constantly say to my mother, "There are people like this in Sri Lanka. If we try to influence him, we will lose him." So my father asked me, "What do you want from us? Do you want to live with us? Would you like to go and be with your people?" So I said yes. It was sad. After two years of me leaving home, my father passed away. I asked my mother if I could grow my hair. Mom said, "Don't, since my sister was still very young, and outsiders would visit our home to meet my marriageable older sisters. Wait a while before you grow it."
The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka has a very close relationship with us. It was while working with them that in 2013, I realized that I was in the wrong body. I'd always wonder why I liked wearing ladies' tops but I had to wear men's pants, a man's pair of sandals. I wondered, "Why should I?" There was a mental health doctor named Kapila Ranasinghe at the national hospital who helped me understand myself. He taught me that there were hormone treatments.
So you received an education from him? They were so progressive, even though it was a government institution?
Dr. Kapila took me to a Family Planning Association meeting. It was a boon for me to connect with such a program through the doctor. So I moved forward.
What about you, Kiruli? Since Sakuni said her family was very accepting. Was your family the same? When you realized that you were born in the wrong body, who did you first tell? How was it when you told your family?
In my family, I had my mother's support, but I lost her when I was fourteen years old. So I continued schooling, and then my elder sister got married a few months later. After my sister had left home, it was just my father and I. One day he found me wearing a dress, and he beat me. He summoned my sister and told her I have an illness, that I was mentally sick, that I was bringing shame to the family. They even took me to a doctor, saying I was mentally unwell. They don't approve of that community. Because they reject those people, they rejected me.
Did it get any better after some time?
Yes, after some time. They found my women's wear and burned it all. I had grown my hair a bit, and they forced me to cut it. They even took me to the police.
Did the doctor say anything? For instance, Sakuni experienced a compassionate doctor.
I didn't meet a good doctor.
Then were there any friends who supported you?
I didn't have much support back then, until I got to know about organizations like these. It was through Sakuni that I learned about things.
How did you meet Sakuni?
I met Sakuni in 2018. I was 18 years old.
How did it go?
I looked like a boy. Sakuni said, "Sister, don't be afraid." That's how we address those from our community. "Don't be scared. If you want to change, I'll help you. There are organizations. Let's stick together." She introduced me to others in the community. That's how I ended up as a trans woman.
Being trans in Sri Lanka isn't easy. Our society is insensitive because they're ignorant and lack knowledge about trans people. This insensitivity leads to marginalization. I mean... People judge you, they make up assumptions about you. In this context, can you tell me, because it's a challenge to live as a trans person in Sri Lanka's culture, how hard is it to be a trans person AND a sex worker?
I see two different types here. Some trans people are privileged. They can design their own lives and live the way they want; they work in prominent organizations. We also have good education, and we also work in organizations. But what happened to us is this... Kiruli used to have a good job. But when she transitioned, they fired her. Even me, I worked at a tea factory. I would achieve my targets. But I can't work anywhere now because I've transitioned. I know many people in this situation. For instance, I won't mention the name of the bank, but one of our people went to the bank, and at the time he was just gay. At that time, there were plenty of people who wanted to sleep with him. They used him for pleasure. Then he came to me and said, "Akka, I want to transition. Can you take me to the doctor?" So I took him. With his transitioning and hormone treatments, he began to develop breasts and present feminine features. And when that happened, they chased him. So even though you might be qualified for a job, it's no use. It's useless.
So now, when I'm out on the roads at night, most of the sex workers I meet are trans. They can't take their medicines because they have to work nights. When you're taking hormones, you have to rest. I thought to myself, "There isn't an organization to support trans sex workers in Sri Lanka. Where could they go?" In the meantime, in 2016, I had the opportunity to go to Nepal. I spoke there. Then in 2018, the FPA sent me as an ambassador from Sri Lanka to Thailand. I never thought someone like me could go be an ambassador of anything. I was overjoyed. While attending meetings there about trans sex work, they asked me, "Sakuni, don't they have support organizations in Sri Lanka?" I said no, but that I would like to start one. They said, "Okay, the FPA will fund you." So I was able to register my organization in 2019. At that very same time, we had the Easter Sunday attacks, the COVID lockdowns, and all of us ended up being cast out in one place. I needed to help some of these kids. I was scared, but I reached out to other organizations. With their help, I managed to buy rations for our people. Then I told the organizations, "I have no money to run my organization." I have to thank the Neelam Tiruchelvam Trust for being the first to grant me funds in 2023. My organization is now running in Peliyagoda. We work in collaboration with other organizations. Now I'm able to support these people anytime. Like when hormones are difficult to acquire. If someone is arrested by the police, my phone is on 24 hours, and I'm connected to all the other organizations. I'm able to go to the jail, and if needed, pay the fines and save them.
Why do I pay fines and save them? Because now there is a law in Sri Lanka. If many people are taken to the court and there are lots caught now, it's never under the Vagrant's Ordinance. Because the fine under the Vagrant's Ordinance is only 100 rupees. Many are arrested for ice (drugs), so that they have to pay more. If I wear these clothes and go out at night, I don't have an ID card. I haven't gotten my Gramasevaka Certificate (GRC). So they'll put me in the men's cell, and we're harassed a lot. This beautifully gown hair, these lovely nails... they cut them off, charge them, and put them into the men's cells. Sometimes they don't take off the handcuffs.
So can they just cut your hair like that? Is there a written law that allows them to do that?
If charged, they do it. For 14 days. But I can make a request to not cut their hair, but put them in a solitary cell. Then they have to be alone. We can't say they are sex workers, but they take those children in handcuffs. How many people would stare? Has this person committed a heinous crime? No! Just because they were on the road.
You said you worked with the FPA. Was there a reason you left that and chose this job?
It's a big decision. Regardless of where I worked, I was primarily a sex worker. Over any other job, I respect sex work. I can't live on institutions forever. I am of the view that I can engage in sex work even after I'm aged. I respect it. I am distanced from my home and live in a boarding. After I came to Colombo, I had many different jobs. I worked in a shoe shop, also a dress shop. None of them worked out for me because they were disrespectful to me. Then one day I met someone from the trans community who asked me why I'm putting myself through this suffering. She didn't suggest that I go into sex work, but told me that I could work for myself and earn. I met a friend from my community who offered to teach me how to do my make-up. Nobody forced me, but they said if I was willing, that I could even sell my body and survive, without being a burden to anyone else. I wouldn't need to deal with listening to bullies. I agreed with this. Nobody forced me. So I started sex work. I'm not hurting anyone else, and I like my job. And I'm making a living by selling my own body.
So in the time you've been doing this job, there must be good things and bad things about it?
It's been about 5 years since I started sex work. It has its highs and lows. I do face many difficulties from society and the law.
Have you had any issues with the police?
Yes. When we do sex work at night, we get arrested. And we're dressed as women when we're taken in. They arrest us under Act 360 and 365's vagrant's ordinance. That calls for a LKR100/- fine. So when the police arrest us, we are sometimes beaten up. We are beaten and then dragged to the police. Then they present us to the OIC.
But the law doesn't permit them to physically harm you?
No, it's not allowed, but they do. And then they parade us to the police women and say, "These are not women. These are dressed in women's clothes, and other unnecessary things." And because our hormone meds make our breasts grow, the police will ask us, "Are your genitals cut? Have they been broken off?" And then they force us to show it to the police women. We still haven't done the bottom surgery yet. We're waiting to do it in the future. So then they put us in after writing the charge. But they don't write the charge for the vagrant's ordinance. The police write it down as drug peddling, like cocaine, or ice, or ganja. Then they throw us into cells that have men in them. They don't put us with the women. And the men in there are druggies or thieves. They harass us. They molest us, talk to us in filth, and abuse us. The police confiscate our phone.
They don't allow you to make a call?
Sometimes, if it's a good officer. Especially at night, if there is a good officer, they will make a call for us. Otherwise, nobody knows that we've been taken in. Only after we're taken to courts that we call someone in our community and beg them to come save us. And you know how I said we're arrested under drug charges? We're told to ask someone to bring us some men's clothes. Because we can't show that we were actually arrested for streetwalking.
What other problems has the police caused you? Like you mentioned their behavior, that they don't behave appropriately towards you. Have you ever experienced fear that something else could happen to you? Have you considered leaving the job?
They threaten us. They don't come back or they'll beat us up more. They tell our boardings to kick us out. This is why I started my organization. It's called the Trans Equality Trust of Sri Lanka. We support both men and women. I am its chairperson. We're in Peliyagoda. Most times, I go and speak with the police. We recently received a grant from WFA that allowed us to go and run police trainings. I specifically requested that, to sensitize the police. We take two of our sex workers, two members from other organizations, and two women police officers and run the program. I began by bringing the police to my organization. At the meetings, they told me, "Sakuni, you keep bringing us to your office. There's an opportunity for you to come and do this program at the Kiribathgoda police station and the Peliyagoda police station." They have training school programs at the station on Saturdays. They gave me 10 minutes there to speak. At the moment, a lot of our intervention programs are targeting the police. Because when you're a sex worker, when society abuses you, you have to deal with the police. When the police abuse you, you have to deal with the police. That's why I humbly request the police, please don't assault us like this because it can mean the end of a person's life. I've personally witnessed that happening. That's why I'm worshipping and begging the police, don't beat up our people. Out of fear, when they hear that the police are coming, they make a run for it. And while running across the road, they can sometimes be knocked down by vehicles. And when they're run over, the police would never say it's because they were being chased to be beaten when they're hit by a bus or car. Most times, those who monitor the streets at night are male police. I'd like to ask them, if you had a child who was born like us, who obviously wouldn't transition when they're young, would a father kill that child later? No. A lot of the time, people hurl curses at the police. They tell them, "May your children be mutilated. Your woman will leave you." I even beg the female police officers... I was also born to a mother. When I was born, my mother didn't know I'd be like this. But my mother didn't kill me. As far as I know, there are many people who struggle with their identities, not just in the police. In big houses, they're transgender. They live in fear. They come to us for help. Their parents are aware, but will never reveal that their child is such, and will keep the child inside. Can you imagine how much suffering that child endures? Some of these people, they desire to be transgender. They like cross-dressing. They like to live their lives wearing women's clothes. These children's desires are influenced by their experiences at home. And then they're forcibly married off. Would their marriages be successful? Those boys have come to me. They confess that they only feel sexually turned on when they wear women's underwear. Imagine how much that boy's wife must be suffering?
Do you think your programs to sensitize the police have been effective? Has there been even a slight change in that regard?
Yes. It's all because of Sakuni's interventions. Once I was beaten up. I was attacked by the Sapugaskanda police for engaging in sex work. They beat me until my left leg was heavily bruised black and blue. I couldn't get up for weeks. It was my community that provided me with food and drink and took care of me. But now I see that this kind of treatment is less. Like now, if a jeep sees me, they move on like they didn't. They beat us because their minds were conditioned against the LGBT community.
So in your work, about your clients...
We don't call them clients. We call them customers.
What sort of customers do you meet?
We meet all types of people.
Have there been times when you develop feelings for the customer that go beyond just the job?
Here's the thing. A lot of the time, sex workers prefer middle-aged customers. Because when they're too young, they want to fall in love, or they don't pay us and just want to get favors. We've been caught in things like that. A handsome boy will come and expect to just get serviced and go without paying. He thinks we will fall in love, and even the phone number that he gives us is fake. We've been caught in scams like that. We discuss these things when we meet at our organization in the morning. Or at the end of the day, we come home, change clothes, and take off our make-up and sit outside to talk about our experiences with each other. The other thing we do from our organization is that we write to the Human Rights Commission. We've taken our cases to the HRC. The other thing is that sometimes... Sometimes we have trans people who are not very naive. Sometimes they are very innocent, no matter how much you tell them. They can't help themselves. I don't think that's limited to trans people. We're all human. Any human being can develop feelings for others.
What happens with the health and safety needs that come with the job? Also the stress that you undergo in this line of work? Like when you are abused by the police, it can obviously cause depression. Where do you get the support?
We offer counseling through our organization. I specifically requested for that. We provide counseling for three people at a time. However, it's only for sex workers. At the same time, we also do yoga sessions. The other thing is that sex workers are often helpless. They need health and wellness attention. But they are people who work on the streets at night. They work all night and come home only at about 4 or 5 in the morning. When they get home, all they have the energy to do is a quick wash, eat whatever there is, and sleep and wake up again at about 2 in the afternoon. So quite often, they're too tired to think of going to the STD clinic to attend to their health. So we had to think of a way to save these people from STDs. So I called the STD clinics and called the organizations working with them, and now they come to my office at about 3 or 4 pm, and I inform the sex workers a day in advance to come to my office for their STD tests. I keep the office open on that day for that purpose, so they can get their checkups. Most times, they distribute condoms. Because you can't keep condoms at the boardings. Some boardings don't like it.
So do they know? Well, obviously, when you wear makeup and go out in the night... So sometimes I actually hide the condoms in a labeled shopping bag under rocks on the railway tracks, and I'll call them and say, "Your condoms have been left there, go pick it up." It's not like they go to fancy big places to have sex. You know those places that are there to have sex in...
So then do you engage in sex work at home or out?
No, we never bring them home. Sometimes it's in the vehicle. Most times, it's on the railway track. Some customers are drug addicts. They know our people are scared, so they threaten them with knives and get their needs met. It's really saddening.
Ok, so you have these services at 3 pm. But what about a person who can't access your clinic? Can they get the checkups and medications from a government hospital without any problems?
I've gone in the past, and I had problems. Even though we don't have our identity paperwork changed, we go dressed as women, with nail polish, hairstyles, jewelry... dressed nicely. And they look at us in disgust. At the registration counter, when they give us the number. Then after they call out our number, the doctor will treat us like we've got some disease. They won't even sit as close to us as you do. When they take blood, they purposely prick us hard. Once I had to have a blood test, and the first time no blood came. And the second time too. The third time they jabbed me so hard I cried out. "Oh, you only feel pain for this needle? Not for other things?" Then you don't even feel like going to a hospital. And if we have anything in our report, they read it aloud for everyone to hear. Things like gonorrhea, syphilis, and suchlike that happen to us. At those times, you can see them judging us. That's why we don't like to go to these STD clinics. The Global Fund project implements STD clinics. In the past, I've seen at these clinics when a trans or gay person visits the clinic, they clean their seats with Dettol after they leave. In the hospitals, the attendants do it as you pass by. And these are the things that I hear from this one and others, and I take it all to meetings and speak out about it. So now, she doesn't have to take her GRC papers. She can go to a Colombo clinic as a woman and be in the queue with the other women. So the situation has improved. The STD clinic doesn't give us sufficient condoms for our job. Sakuni's organization gives us a whole box that has 144 condoms. The STD clinic only gives us about 20. That's not enough at all! Sometimes the condoms break. Yes, you have to be careful.
You said there have been lots of changes compared to the past...?
Now, even though we don't have the GRC, we can use our trans name. And the doctors will ask us too. The doctor that we see now asks us, "How would you like me to address you? Daughter or son? What's your name?" Even though we give our original male name, the doctor asks what our trans name is. Back then, only the national hospital provided hormone treatments. But then the number of people transitioning has grown. So the hospital doesn't have the capacity to serve all. Some people get it done privately. We go to Ragama hospital. We request from them to speak to us like humans. Don't discriminate us; we're also human.
Ok, about the discrimination... when you go out, you dress how you feel comfortable and how you identify. And even though the doctor may treat you well, you still have to stand in the lines with others. Not just the hospital. If you go shopping for outfits, or if you go out for a meal with your friends. What is that experience like for you? Are there places you don't like to go because people treat you differently?
It's a democratic country, and anyone should be able to go anywhere they like. But do you feel like because you present as trans, there might be places that are difficult to go to?
Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. For instance, if I go to a shop...
By the people in the shop or other shoppers?
No, not the shoppers. It's not men who work in those shops. Once we went to buy clothes, and the women there made her angry. I told them, "You get paid from the sales when we buy these clothes. Should I report you to your head office, or should I teach you a lesson?" They apologized. So shopping is... You get sick of life. They go and point us out to all the other men and women there. So you don't feel like going there again. But in my life, I prefer going to those same places. I go there because... Why shouldn't we go? We pay money and buy things there. They hope they can discourage us with their disrespect. So I want to keep going there.
What do you do in your free time? Let's say, when you have a day off from work?
I live with my partner. I don't like it when my partner's around on my day's off. I tell them to go home. I want to sleep. I don't want to do anything. Like yesterday, I finished my meetings and had some time to do my laundry. I thought I'd quickly wash the clothes and sleep early. But at 6 am, the sex worker from the next boarding turns up and shouts, "Sakuni, Sakuni! I'm hungry! Make me some tea!" So I had to eat with them. Then there are times when there are fights. Physical fights.
Fights within the trans community?
Yes. There are issues. I'm the one who doesn't get any peace. I have to keep solving them. It's a hassle. She's the leader of our lot. This is the thing. Sometimes I light the lamp at my Buddha shrine and want to pray. This one will turn up but sees me at the shrine and goes away because she knows I'm praying. But aiyo, I don't have a chance to say my prayers. Someone else shows up and whines, "Kiruli said this to me." Because this one has gone and fought with someone. She came to tell me, but saw me lighting the lamp so went away, but the other one came instead and wouldn't stop talking. So I quickly go and solve the issue. That's the way. Even when we're on the streets, you have them all fighting over the same customer. Not that we fight. It's when the customer wants a double job. We make more money, no? So then we do it.
So now Sakuni said that she has the lamp at home. So we have different beliefs, right? So when you want to practice your religion, do you pray and perform your rituals at home? Or do you go out to the temples or churches? Can you go without facing any problems?
Yes, I practice at home too. I'm Buddhist, but I don't limit myself to Buddhism only. I respect all religions. So during the holidays, we all go. We go to Anuradhapura, Kataragama. This holiday, to go to Munneswaram, instead of hiring a vehicle, we went by train. It's a really nice place. We worshipped at the temples and even went to the beach.
Oh, so you do go out on trips?
Yes, we go to Munneswaram on Saturdays. Not just in Sri Lanka. Recently, Kiruli and I went to Nepal for about 3 days. Five days in total.
Was that on work?
Yes.
What about aside from work? Do you go out anywhere after work? Do you go sightseeing?
Here's the thing. In our lives, it's only us. We go to the office every morning. These ones go earlier, or we go together. Coming back, we walk along the railway tracks. We don't come on the bus. While walking, we pick flowers, we'll tease each other, if we see a boy, we'll crack some jokes... Most times, our set is united. Forget about trans. Human beings are human beings. We respect everyone. All we ask is that you respect us too.
Let's talk about partners. With this kind of job, it can't be easy to find an understanding partner. What's it like for you? Do you experience heartbreaks and break-ups? What about you, Kiruli?
Yes, I do. One of my partners fell for another person from my community. It made me sad. My friend was wrong, and so was my partner. I had to intervene with that. This whole area knew about it. These two fought on the road. Well, she's young.
How's it been for you, Sakuni?
When I work the streets, I prefer not to have a partner. Since I was having my needs met daily. But now I'm middle-aged. Now I need a partner. So I am exclusive with my partner. Because we all need someone to share our sadness and happiness with. It's a human need. Yes, it's a need, but once you take up sex work and start streetwalking, that changes. I don't like my partner knowing that I'm a whore who works on the street. I don't need to hide it from them either. A lot of partners know what we do. We don't need to hide it. It's not like we bring customers home and do our work for them to see. We don't put our partners outside, sleep with the customer, and then take the partner back inside.
In that case, have there been instances where you've wanted to leave the job?
I can't speak for Kiruli, but in my life, I'll be a sex worker until I'm using a walking stick. Yes, me too. Partners will be here today and gone tomorrow.
Ok, so that's about partners. But what about if one day you feel like you want to learn something new? For instance, not today or tomorrow, but Kiruli, what if you want to someday improve your learning as a beautician or doctor, or anything... if you want a change in career and wanted to learn something new, is there any place where you can go to get further education?
It's what we do right now. We haven't stopped doing other things just because we're sex workers. We make slippers. When we don't have a lot of work in the office, we make slippers and sell them. We make table mats out of beads. We also make jewelry out of beads. Sri Lanka recently celebrated Pride month. We were the ones who sold slippers at the Pride event. We made the jewelry. Our organization presented a special dance at the event. During the cricket match there, we danced with the papare band. We really like that month. Sakuni keeps telling us to come for Pride because we never show our faces. This was my first time there. She's been asking us to come since 2022. I feel shy to go. She asked us why we should be shy, because it's all our people there.
How was your first time?
It was really good! I'm definitely going again. Because it's our people performing there. There's nothing to be afraid of.
So we have the trans community, and it's within that community that we have the trans sex worker community. Do other trans people dislike you or judge you because of your job?
Yes, they like to show that they're above us. Because we work on the streets. At those moments, I speak up. We're all humans. We have sex as a means of earning a living. They have other jobs, and they have sex for pleasure. The sex we have for pleasure is different from the sex we have for money.
Kiruli, tell me, when you came searching for a boarding house, did you have any difficulty because you're a trans person?
Yes, there were problems. The first thing that they ask is, "What is your job?" Then, during the Easter Sunday attacks, they'd ask for our ID card. They ask for your job. I came here through Sakuni, and because of her, I didn't have huge issues. They were just afraid to give rooms because of the bombs. Because when you're in makeup, you look different from your identity card. So then some people don't like to rent out the rooms.
You were lucky to have a friend like Sakuni. But for others?
In this area, I intervene when anyone wants lodgings. Otherwise, they're not given boarding, or their money is taken and they're scammed. Because they know these ones can't go to the police. So they take the money and don't return. There have been times when they sleep on the pavement or at the station. People seem to be insensitive out of ignorance. They have the wrong idea about us, that's why. Otherwise, the only thing to do is speak to the police and make a plan to paint on our walls that there are trans people like this in Sri Lanka, and that the police should protect us too.
What laws do you think need to change in Sri Lanka? Now, we usually learn from school, right? Where do you think changes should begin? To teach people that this community are also members of society, and that these are also people? Where should it start?
Most of the legal issues stem from the police. There's no point in training big officers with stars. It has to start at ground level, with those who arrest us. We need to make them understand that people like us exist. If we could build that system. This is my message to the police. There may be people in families who are secretly trans and hiding their truth.
Where should we start to sensitize and educate?
If we're talking about education, it needs to start with sexual and reproductive health education. Back then, we were never taught about transgender people. We were only taught there are men and women. We would have known more if they gave taught us SRH. If you put it in a book, then little by little, as they grow up in their education, people will grow up learning about us. Now, students in campuses have a good knowledge about the LGBT community. So through education, you can increase social sensitivity. Yes, that there are humans like this, and it's not a madness or sickness.
There's an election coming up in this country. Before that, can't we educate the Grama Sevaka officers in every district and put this into their heads? Why? What is the problem? Some of us can't vote. Is it because you haven't changed the voting card? Yes, we haven't got the Gramasevaka Certificate. But it's also a case of the residential address. Our people have left their families. They can't go home to vote. So can't we organize something for them? It's a shame if they can't vote. Even if they have a vote, they don't have an ID card. Even to get the new ID made, the Gramasevaka has to be educated. Because when you go to the Gramasevaka, they would ask what your job is. Has that happened? Yes, we even had to fight to get our 5000/- during COVID times. It's not like we're demanding it because we're sex workers. We're asking as human beings, as marginalized, transgender human beings. And we have an organization. If there is someone watching this, we're not asking for pity. Out of a sense of humanity. When we age, we have nowhere to go. There are no elders' homes for us. It makes me sad to say this. If one of us dies, we don't even have a place to have a funeral or bury. Our families won't take our bodies or hold funeral rites for us. Recently, one of our own passed away, and their parents didn't accept to take care of the funeral. Our organizations came together to take care of it. We're not always going to be able to do that. It would be ideal if there was a place where we could hold funerals. Just because we're trans women, don't treat us differently. People call us mentally retarded. It's not true. And sometimes people are afraid to get too close, no? Yes. There's nothing to be disgusted about. We're all humans. You're not disgusted when you have sex with us, though. We don't need you to bow down to us. Just don't call us derogatory things. Just treat us nicely. We have names, you can call us by those names. We would like to live with respect. We don't say nasty things about other people. So why speak to us so badly? Respect should go both ways.
Thank you to Internews for supporting our conversation on this topic today. We hope this episode helps society to learn and become more sensitive and continue this conversation. We hope by watching this, you learned new things. At the end of the day, these are also people. Going forward, let's learn to treat everyone with equal respect.