Abstract
This paper is an attempt to document life of male sex workers as transgender in Pakistan and to describe their cultural practices with reference to ritual performs on different occasion. Qualitative research methods combing in-depth interviews, FGDs, and observation were employed to gather information. An effort has been made to investigate the cultural life of the transgender and the pattern of their social interaction within the community as well as with the outsiders. Analysis based on thematic description of the themes generated after reviewing data. The research process revealed that males who were engaged in the sex industry have two types of sociological division: first, young and having male identity with potential to transform in transgender; while other transgender plays dual roles: a) within sex worker community as transgender women, b) male outside the transgender community. These males fulfill their socio-psychological and economic needs through entrance in the transgender community. Most of them consider themselves as having feminine soul and masculine body. The male engaging in sex work is a complex phenomenon with reference to their identity and performance of cultural rituals. An exploratory research study needs to be conducted to unfold the notion of dual identity which male sex workers have.
Highlights
Gender is not something we are born with, and not something we have, but something we do [1] and sex is a biological categorization based primarily on reproductive potential, whereas gender is the social elaboration of biological sex [2]
“transgender” has become an umbrella term that is used to describe a wide range of identities and experiences, including but not limited to: pre-operative, post- operative and non-operative transsexual people, male and female “cross-dressers”, and men and women, regardless of sexual orientation, whose appearance or characteristics are perceived to be gender atypical [6]
Majority among them were between 15 24 years. They belonged to different part of the Pakistan ; majority of them came from Punjab (Hyderabad, Sialkot, Bahwalpur, Faisalabad and Sahiwal)
Summary
Gender is not something we are born with, and not something we have, but something we do [1] and sex is a biological categorization based primarily on reproductive potential, whereas gender is the social elaboration of biological sex [2]. According to epidemiological category of biological male who sell sex, there are three sociologically different sexual identities: khusras (transgender), khotkis (feminized males) and banthas (mainstream male identity). Both khusras and khotkis are organized in strong social structures based on a shared identity [7]. To avoid imposing a “false clarity” on categorization of identity and assumed behaviour, it is necessary to go beyond verbal accounts to document the fluidity of everyday reality [7] This would widen spectrum for the intervention to address issues and challenges which are faced by the transgender sex worker
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