"Identities are not mere markers we are known by, they define as well as limit us. They can both confine or release a consciousness. I Am Vidya is the story of one such journey that of a declaration, of the claiming of an identity. It is an assertion of a consciousness that has suffered the agony of being trapped in a mould it does not belong to, a body it does not identify with.
Vidya has lived through all the indignities forced upon a tirunangai, a transgender, by a society that divides and defines itself as men and women in terms of biology alone from being spurned by her family, to begging on the streets as a social outcast, from donning a woman's clothes, to undergoing excruciating surgery to lose her 'manhood', from suffering emotional and physical harassment, to arriving at her true identity. A compelling narrative about a woman trapped within a man's body, this is a story of extraordinary courage and perseverance."
In 2014, I interviewed Vidya and this is what she shared with me: "What inspired me to write the book? I can say that it was all due to my lovely brother Mr. S. Bala Bharathi. He was the one who asked me to write a blog and continuously encouraged me, and the blog was a huge success then. One day Kilakku publishers came up asking me to write my autobiography and I just accepted it with half a mind. When I started writing ohhhh, trust me it’s worse than my life to recollect all the memories ahh..."
"Monika: What is your general view on the present situation of transgender women in the Indian society?
Vidya: Just before a couple of years people wanted to have a sex work and NGO work. However, this generation of transwomen is looking for more. There are new thoughts emerging from youngsters that they want to work in government sector, in media, in politics and want to get rid of begging and sex work."
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