Me Hijra, Me Laxmi

He was born a boy, but never felt like one. What was he then? He felt attracted to boys. What did this make him?
He loved to dance. But why did others make fun of him?

Battling such emotional turmoil from a very young age, Laxminarayan Tripathi, born in a high-caste Brahman household, felt confused, trapped, and lonely. Slowly, he began wearing women's clothes. Over time, he became bold and assertive about his real sexual identity. Finally, he found his true self-she was Laxmi, a hijra (a term used in South Asia for transgender individuals).

From numerous love affairs to finding solace by dancing in Mumbai's bars; from being taunted as a homo to being the first Indian hijra to attend the World AIDS Conference in Toronto; from mental and physical abuse to finding a life of grace, dignity, and fame, this autobiography is an extraordinary journey of a hijra who fought against tremendous odds for the recognition of hijras and their rights.

Laxmi

Laxmi is a transgender rights activist, Hindi film actor, and Bharatanatyam dancer. She is the Founder of the NGO Astitva, which works towards the support and development of sexual minorities.

R. Raj Rao is a novelist, short-story writer, poet, playwright, biographer, and queer theorist. He teaches at the Department of English, University of Pune, Maharashtra.

P.G. Joshi has written short stories and articles for reputed journals and newspapers. He has taught English language and literature at K.J. Somaiya College, Kopargaon, Maharashtra.