When Vihaan Peethamber came out as a trans man in 2016, he thought the process of changing gender markers on legal documents would be easy. Kerala, where he lived, had just brought out the State Transgender Policy a year ago. But Vihaan would for long witness apathy and ignorance of officials on the lives of transgender people, especially trans men. It took a six month struggle to complete the process. In the months he waited, he realised he was not alone.
"Many trans men from all parts of Kerala started reaching out to me, seeking help as they had all been waiting for years to change their gender markers but were too scared to navigate the system that put us through harassing processes," Vihaan says. Three years later, in 2019, Vihaan, along with Ishaan K Shaan, co-founded the first community based organisation (CBO) led by trans men for trans men — Malayali Transmen Association (MATA).
"We increasingly saw that either our issues were not being adequately represented or it was being communicated by cisgender people who were not genuinely liaising with the trans men community to understand our needs and experiences. We felt it was high time that organisations led by trans men represented the community and spoke for our issues," Vihaan says.
One of the main issues that trans men face is access to safe spaces, much like cis women. Since they were assigned the female gender at birth, they often face the same violence and oppression that's perpetrated on cis women, Vihaan says. "In most cases, 'corrective' rape, sexual and physical abuse are common tactics that trans men are put through to 'cure' them of an assumed ‘sickness’ and will turn them back into ‘docile’ women. Fearing the vulnerabilities of the female body, trans men often find it difficult to break the barriers of their home and come out or communicate about their experiences with others."
Even after the State Transgender Policy was formed, it took time for the change to be visible. And even when it did, most programmes and initiatives for the transgender community were focussed on trans women. At least 15 CBOs were formed for the welfare of trans women, and none for trans men. They continued to struggle when it came to where to go or whom to contact for medical, legal, educational or employment needs.
Vihaan and a few others like Ishaan who came out, realised the need to be visible spokespersons for the transmasculine community. They began raising awareness by talking to the media, government institutions, civil society bodies and the LGBTIQ+ community at large.
In 2017, they organised the first All Kerala Transmen Meet with 11 people and created a WhatsApp group for trans men. "The number of members gradually increased to over 75 people within a year. With some of us who have been active in the public domain for the last few years, we saw more and more trans men coming out and seeking help as they knew they were not alone," says Ishaan.
It was around then that the state and district transgender justice boards and transgender cell were formed under the Social Justice Department. Welfare programmes, schemes and awareness drives were facilitated but in all these spaces there was an absence of trans men. Many were still stuck in vulnerable situations with natal families and unable to appear in public forums or meetings. An association became a necessity.
First general body meeting of MATA in 2019
"MATA's vision is to empower trans men by providing them access to support and resources that advance safety and equality, increase public awareness of transmasculine identities and challenge intolerance," Ishaan says.
The association aims to create awareness about trans men and the issues they face, provide support to members in various areas, disseminate information on crucial programmes for trans men by government and private bodies and non-government organisations.
The issues could be as bad as violence at home and forced marriages with cisgender men. Even when community members offer help to take legal recourse, many fear their families. The attitude of the police, Vihaan says, does not make things any better.
“A major concern that has increased with the enactment of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 is changing gender markers legally. With the removal of the clause on self-declaration of gender, most trans men who identify as ‘male’ will have to undergo medical interventions in order to change their gender markers as ‘male’.
“In Kerala, there are only two to three hospitals that offer gender affirmation surgeries for trans men. As these surgeries are complicated and expensive, the lack of facilities and skilled doctors in government hospitals make it difficult for trans men who are unable to afford treatment in private hospitals. Sensitising healthcare officials on the ethics and sensitivity required to interact with trans men is highly overdue, especially in the usage of pronouns and asking intrusive questions,” Vihaan says.
Shelter homes for trans men are also fairly new. A short stay home was started in Thiruvananthapuram last year and this has led to a few trans men being able to come out of the closet. But it is only a first step and the distance prevents many from the other end of Kerala from seeking it. "Currently, the majority of trans men undergo gender affirmation surgeries in hospitals in Ernakulam and find it difficult to travel for hours for check-ups and other processes from the shelter home in Thiruvananthapuram. Hence, they seek temporary shelter with other trans men who reside in Ernakulam," says Vihaan.
In the last five years, there has been a definite change in the social outlook of the people of Kerala. Stories of trans men such as Adam Harry, whose ambition to be a pilot was supported by the government, keep coming out. The marriage of trans people like Ishaan and Surya was celebrated across the media. Many transgender people have YouTube channels that have served as a medium to raise awareness on their lives. But, Ishaan says, there is still a huge need to sensitise various government bodies and officials who are responsible for creating and implementing welfare programmes and schemes for transgender people.
MATA will be in talks with the government to engage proactively with the various bodies. It has been listed with the transgender cell under the Social Justice Department. “MATA had previously reached out to the Social Justice Department in efforts to host a consultation to provide our inputs towards improving the functioning of the shelter home for trans men. However, there have been no proactive efforts to engage with us for understanding the needs and requirements of the trans men community.
We had also raised the constraints faced by trans men in accessing the shelter home in Thiruvananthapuram as most prefer to stay in Ernakulam post their surgeries and in pursuance of employment opportunities. However, there has not been any response from the Social Justice Department to address this. We hope our future efforts to advocate more ardently with the government will help inform their programmes to be more inclusive of trans men,” Vihaan says.
Watch: MATA, an association of trans men for trans men in Kerala