India’s Supreme Court recognised a third legal gender in 2014. Laxmi Narayan Tripathi was one of those who took part in that case. She later founded a religious order, to lead prayers at the Kumbh Mela.
At a Glance
Four facts to hold on to.
01
Born
13 December 1978, Thane.
02
Key case
NALSA, 15 April 2014.
03
Order
Kinnar Akhara, founded 2015.
04
Book
“Me Hijra, Me Laxmi”.
NALSA caseSupreme Court case recognising a third gender.
Third genderLegal category beyond male and female.
AkharaA Hindu monastic order.
Self-identificationRight to decide one’s own gender.
Laxmi Narayan Tripathi was born on 13 December 1978 in Thane, Maharashtra.
She is a transgender rights activist.
She leads the Kinnar Akhara, a Hindu religious order, as its Acharya Mahamandaleshwar.
Early advocacy
In the 1990s, during India’s HIV/AIDS crisis, she was among the first to demand that hijras be treated as a separate category in the national AIDS programme.
In 2008, she addressed a United Nations assembly.
She was the first transgender person to represent Asia Pacific there.
The NALSA judgment
She took part in the NALSA case, decided by the Supreme Court on 15 April 2014.
The Court recognised transgender people as a legal “third gender”.
It also upheld the right to self-identify one’s gender.
The Kinnar Akhara
In 2015, she established the Kinnar Akhara and became its Acharya Mahamandaleshwar.
Timeline: Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, 1978 to 2016.
True or False: The NALSA judgment of 15 April 2014 recognised transgender people as a legal third gender.
Dance, Astitva and the Kumbh
Good to Know
Arts and organising
She trained in Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form, before her activism.
In 2007 she founded Astitva, a welfare group for sexual and gender minorities.
Her story in print
Her autobiography is “Me Hijra, Me Laxmi”.
It was first published in Marathi in 2012, and in English in 2015.
The Kumbh debut
The Kinnar Akhara debuted at the 2016 Ujjain Simhastha Kumbh Mela, one year after its founding.
It now takes part in the Kumbh alongside the traditional monastic orders.
This was a first for the transgender community.
Year
Event
2007
Founds Astitva
2008
Addresses a UN assembly
2014
NALSA judgment
2015
Founds Kinnar Akhara
2016
Debut at Ujjain Kumbh
True or False: The Kinnar Akhara made its Kumbh debut at the 2013 Allahabad Kumbh.
She also earned a postgraduate degree in Bharatanatyam.
She worked as a Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer.
Dai Welfare Society
In 2002 she became president of the Dai Welfare Society.
It is described as the first registered working organisation for eunuchs in South Asia.
In the public eye
She appeared on the reality show Bigg Boss in 2011 (Season 5).
She was evicted after six weeks.
She has also appeared on Sach Ka Samna and 10 Ka Dum.
The 2005 documentary Between the Lines: India’s Third Gender featured her.
Her later book
Red Lipstick was co-written with Pooja Pande.
Penguin published it in 2016.
She was named Indian of the Year in 2017.
Think it through: why does self-identification matter more than a medical test?
Gender identity is personal. A test run by others can deny a person’s own sense of self. Self-identification puts the person, not an examiner, in charge.
True or False: Laxmi Narayan Tripathi is the Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of the Kinnar Akhara.
True or False: Tripathi trained in Kathak before becoming an activist.
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