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Story Publication logo April 19, 2016

India's Ancient Transgender Community

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India's transgender women have a documented history dating back to the Kama Sutra, but live on the...

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Image by Sami Siva. India, 2015.

Later this month, thousands of Indians will attend the Koovagam festival, which celebrates an ancient Hindu myth and a community known as hijras. Often compared to transgender women, hijras don't quite fit into Western notions of gender. Despite their role in religious rituals, they live on the fringes of society, often as beggars and sex workers.

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