Abstract
Hijras, located in present-day Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, are most often described in terms of their gender presentation. We are often met with English terms such as transgender, third gender, and eunuch. This study argues that these terms are Western creations which are symptomatic of English (mis)translations and cannot adequately identify Hijras outside of revealing surveilled bodily information. Instead, this study focuses on other aspects of the Hijra, primarily the structural organization of Hijra communities, the Hijra secret language, and privacy. I posit Hijra structural organization as proximal to Sufi and Hindu ascetic religious orders. Additionally, I reflect on the Hijra secret language- Hijra Farsi- and closed communities as a mechanism of privacy. This study concludes that the application of Western terms is a form of colonial violence which weaponizes LGBTQIA identities as examples of Western liberation.
Advisor
Mirza, Sarah
Department
Religious Studies
Recommended Citation
Padfield, Alex C., "This Is Not About The Body: Deprioritizing A Corporeal Study of The Hijra" (2023). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 10627.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/10627
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities
Keywords
Hijra, Hijra Farsi, linguistics, privacy, community, homonationalism
Publication Date
2023
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2023 Alex C. Padfield