Crude jokes apart, it can be quite annoying to have a Hijra (eunuch) begging for money when you stop at signals. Well they don’t have a choice because the society will continue to see them as an aberration. The awareness campaigns etc may help them get legal rights to property, voting, passport. Come to think of it, its tragedy. I wonder if there is a ’risk group’ who would eventually become eunuchs. If such a group is identifies, steps might be taken to provide psychotherapy (According to DSM IV, the condition of a Hijra is Gender Identity Disorder) and if nothing works, the government must fund sex reassignment surgeries. Otherwise, the begging, the prostitution, the crime, the filth and the disease shall continue.

Hey Taylor, I guess you are not aware of the Hijra community in India. If you watch a Hindi movie ever, you will know how entertaining they can be. A ’Hijra’ or a ’Chakka’ is a castrated man. In English the closest term would be a ’eunuch’ You might have heard about the harems of sultans.. They used to have eunuchs to guard their women. They have continued to exist well into 21st century. These people are the same ones that would have undergone sex reassignment surgeries abroad. Here, people can’t afford those surgeries and most eunuchs are uneducated and hence, are unaware of the possibilities.

They do beg, and they usually don’t carjack. However, they are known to sexually harass men in public.

Yes, once they lose their sex organs, they become sterile. These are the kind of people who wouldn’t be able to eat without getting into flesh trade or begging. Some people do it themselves. Some have quacks who do the job. Many die in the process. Some get rid of their penises and some the testicles. Some get rid of the entire external reproductive system. Well coming to the sex change part, its a psychological condition, which needs attention. Indian society finds them gross as well.

Most people find them sick and thats why they continue to be. And yes there must be a lot of pain involved cos I have read many don’t use anaethesia either. And well, the ’condition’ IS about chopping the ’dude’ off

They don’t do it for the pain but they think they will be happier whacking their brother off. Alas. That’s not how it works. I don’t think they would know the word ’therapy’ or ’psychologist’

There are people asking for their rights but why aren’t NGOs which can teach them civilized social behavior