Kochi, India recently opened the first school for transgender students, run by transgender teachers, in the country. Even though two years ago India’s Supreme Court declared that transgender people are still, in fact, people, and thus equal to everyone else under the law, they still face extraordinary discrimination. Many do not have access to education or proper jobs because of this, which is why Sahaj International is giving transgender adults the chance to finish their education in a supportive and safe environment.
Initially when I saw this headline, a transgender school only for transgender people, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was more hurtful then helpful. Superficially, it just sounds like glorified segregation. But after thinking a little more deeply, several thoughts came to mind. The first thought was that while not a great long term solution in terms of establishing equality, in the short term, this school will probably empower and aid so many transgender Indians and encourage them to pursue their passions. Although it separates transgender people from the non-transgender, the students graduating from this school may well illustrate just how much the transgender community can contribute to society, leading to more widespread acceptance. Another thought was that this need for segregation always, throughout all of history, stems from fear and ignorance. So in an effort to further educate others, I want to share how I learned about my own ignorance.
Up until a few months ago, I had a very poor understanding of what it means to be transgender. I just couldn’t comprehend what it meant to feel like a male in a female’s body or vice versa. I did my best to respect the legitimacy of those who identified as such, but I honestly just didn’t get it. My understanding was that this state only stretched so far as the gender assignments. Maybe a more descriptive name would be trans-sex. I can only speak for myself, but maybe this is where a lot of people are stuck, because they also can’t see what all this means or where it comes from.
In one of my courses, we learned that the brain undergoes a lot of changes specific to whether the fetus is genetically a boy or a girl. These changes are brought about by exposure to one of the two sex hormones and can even continue outside of the womb. It’s these very real, quantifiable changes that define our sense of self and sex. In a very crude and basic sense, sometimes the varied exposure of sex hormones can result in a brain developing as if it were commanding a biologically male body, only it actually calls a female body home (or a female brain in a male body). This is the basis for transgender identity.
Like the stigmas we are still battling surrounding mental illness, the transgender community must deal with the ignorance of the world regarding the legitimacy of their circumstance. They must deal with the fact that because their identities are brain based and not anchored in their bodies, the very visually oriented human race will not readily understand. The rest of us will pause, puzzled, and wonder what one could possibly mean when they say they feel like they’re the wrong sex or gender. And some will try to understand, but others will adamantly clamp their hands over their ears and walk away ignorant.
Because of this unwillingness to accept conditions endowed by the brain as real, the transgender community may need to start with schools exclusive to their community, especially in regions particularly prejudiced. This stepping stone to full inclusion and improvement in quality of life for the transgender is a tremendous accomplishment for all those involved.
