Man changes sex to marry, faces social boycott

The marriage has no legal validity in the country where homosexuality or gay unions are not recognised.

KOLKATA, IANS:

A man who changed his sex to marry another man is facing social boycott and threats in a small West Bengal town where people are calling his sexuality “sinister.”

Somnath Banerjee took a woman’s name, Manabi, after he underwent an operation to change his sexual organs, but a section of the people say he is corrupting young minds.

Banerjee, the head of the Bengali department of a college in Jhargram, a small conservative town about 150 km west of here, stunned his family and friends when he told them he was a transsexual and wanted to change to a woman.

Despite heavy odds, Banerjee, who prefers to be addressed in the feminine gender, underwent the sex change operation and became a “woman”. He then married his male partner Abhijit Pahari, the Bengali daily “Pratidin” reported. The newspaper didn’t mention when Banerjee underwent the operation or married Pahari.

Their marriage reportedly has doubtful validity in India that doesn't recognise homosexuality or gay unions. Trouble started when people saw Banerjee — now a woman — living with a man. To the angry people in the town, he was of “funny sexuality.”

“The first of the problems began with my landlord who started to conspire to evict me,” Banerjee, who dresses in woman’s clothes, wears lipstick and sports the “bindi” (dot on his forehead), was quoted as saying. He was jeered on the streets, his house was attacked by hoodlums and he was even locked out of his home by his landlord. The landlord even disconnected his waterlines, he claims.
“I went to police and the civic authorities but received no help,” said Banerjee, whose picture —with both hands clasped together, praying for justice —was published in the newspaper. He said even local politicians ganged up against him. In the face of such opposition, his worst blow came when his partner, Pahari, was taken away by his family.

‘Sinister, anti-social’

A section of local people said Banerjee was carrying on “sinister and anti-social activities” and, finally, some branded him a witch. “I fear for my life and have approached the authorities with my apprehensions,” he said.

After repeatedly knocking at the doors of police, Banerjee turned to the state women’s commission for help. The commission approached the district authorities, who earlier this week finally warned Banerjee’s landlord against disturbing him. But Banerjee remains apprehensive.

“I changed my sex and was living my life happily with Abhijit (Pahari). But his relatives took him away. Now people want to cast me out and even kill me. Will sexual minorities continue to be hounded?” Banerjee asked.

Though homosexuality still remains in the closet in India, many gay and lesbian groups are beginning to speak up for their rights.

Gay groups are active in more culturally open societies in Mumbai and Bangalore, but traditionalist cities such as Kolkata are also seeing homosexuals stand up for their rights. In a sign of the changing times, every year dozens of gay and lesbian people walk through this city in support of rights for sexual minorities.