Shabnam "Mausi" Bano (शबनम मौसी) (''"Mausi" noun. Hindi - "Aunty"'') is the first

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

to be elected to public office (MLA). She was an elected member of the

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

State Legislative Assembly from 1998 to 2003. (Hijras were granted voting rights in 1994 in India.)

Early life

She was born visibly

intersex Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical bin ...

and was given a masculine name. Her father, a police superintendent of the

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...

caste, gave her away shortly after she was born to protect his own social image. She attended only two years of primary schooling but learned 12 languages during her travels.

Political career

Shabnam Mausi was elected from the Sohagpur Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh state's Shahdol-Anuppur district. As a member of the Legislative Assembly, her agenda included fighting corruption, unemployment, poverty, and hunger, as well as speaking out against discrimination against

transgender people This list consists of many notable people who are transgender. The individual listings note the subject's nationality and main occupation. In some non-Western, ancient or medieval societies, transgender people may be seen as a different gend ...

, hijras, eunuchs,

cross-dressers Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes usually worn by a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and self-express oneself. Cross-dressing has play ...

and raising awareness about HIV/AIDS.

Activism

Shabnam Mausi inspired many transgender people in India to take up politics and participate in 'mainstream activities' in India, giving up their traditional roles as dancers, prostitutes, and beggars, living on the fringes of Indian society; for example they sometimes attend weddings or the house of a newborn child offering services to ward off bad luck.

Jeeti Jitayi Politics (JJP)

In 2003, hijras in Madhya Pradesh established their own political party called "Jeeti Jitayi Politics" (JJP), which literally means 'politics that has already been won'. The party released an eight-page manifesto to outline its political differences from the mainstream.

Popular culture

In 2005, a fiction feature film titled ''Shabnam Mausi'' was made about her life. It was directed by Yogesh Bharadwaj, and the role of Shabnam Mausi was played by

Ashutosh Rana Ashutosh Ramnarayan Neekhra (born 10 November 1967), known professionally as Ashutosh Rana, is an Indian actor, producer, author and television personality. He has worked in Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi films. He has also worked ...

. Although she is no longer in public office, Shabnam Mausi continues to participate actively in AIDS/HIV education with NGOs and gender activists in India.

''"We brothers and sisters often face stigma and discrimination because of our sexual orientation and gender identity. Talking openly about AIDS helps us understand each other!"'' - Shabnam Mausi

References

External links

Eunuch MP takes Seat - BBC news
*The film {{DEFAULTSORT:Mausi, Shabnam Living people LGBT Hindus Indian LGBT rights activists Transgender politicians Madhya Pradesh MLAs 1998–2003 Transgender rights activists Year of birth missing (living people) Hijra (South Asia) people LGBT legislators Indian LGBT politicians