Kothi (gender)

Last updated

In the Indian subcontinent, a kothi is a term for a man or boy who takes on an "effeminate" role in same-sex relationships, often with a desire to be the receptive partner in sexual intercourse. [1] [2] The origins of the term are unclear. The original meaning was intended as a slur, similar to "fag" or "sissy." [2] [ page needed ] Local equivalents include durani (Kolkata), menaka (Cochin), meti (Nepal), and zenana (Pakistan).[ citation needed ] The male partners who perform the penetrative acts are known as panthi. [3] [4]

Kothis differ from hijras as they do not live in the kind of intentional communities that hijras usually live in. They are similar to the hijra in that they may take a same-sex lover for a period of time, and they may perform sexual favors for men through prostitution. [1]

Other sources state that the term kothi is an all-encompassing term for males in India who do not conform to their social gender, where the term kothi would include the identity of hijra, among others. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

The word cisgender describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth, i.e., someone who is not transgender. The prefix cis- is Latin and means on this side of. The term cisgender was coined in 1994 as an antonym to transgender, and entered into dictionaries starting in 2015 as a result of changes in social discourse about gender. The term has been and continues to be controversial and subject to critique.

Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent, and consistent with the individual's gender identity. Gender expression typically reflects a person's gender identity, but this is not always the case. While a person may express behaviors, attitudes, and appearances consistent with a particular gender role, such expression may not necessarily reflect their gender identity. The term gender identity was coined by psychiatry professor Robert J. Stoller in 1964 and popularized by psychologist John Money.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hijra (South Asia)</span> Third gender of South Asian cultures

In the Indian subcontinent, hijra are transgender, intersex, or eunuch people who live in communities that follow a kinship system known as the guru-chela system. They are also known as aravani, aruvani, and jogappa, and in Pakistan, khawaja sira.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transfeminism</span> Branch of feminism

Transfeminism, or trans feminism, is a branch of feminism focused on transgender women and informed by transgender studies. Transfeminism focuses on the effects of transmisogyny and patriarchy on trans women. It is related to the broader field of queer theory. The term was popularized by Emi Koyama in The Transfeminist Manifesto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emasculation</span> Removal of male sex organs

Emasculation is the removal of the external male sex organs, which includes both the penis and the scrotum, the latter of which contains the testicles. It is distinct from castration, where only the testicles are removed. Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, the potential medical consequences of emasculation are more extensive due to the complications arising from the removal of the penis. There are a range of religious, cultural, punitive, and personal reasons why someone may choose to emasculate themselves or another person.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attraction to transgender people</span> Romantic or sexual attraction to transgender people

Sexual attraction to transgender people has been the subject of scientific study and social commentary. Psychologists have researched sexual attraction toward trans women, trans men, cross dressers, non-binary people, and a combination of these. Publications in the field of transgender studies have investigated the attraction transgender individuals can feel for each other. The people who feel this attraction to transgender people name their attraction in different ways.

The Sex Orientation Scale (SOS) was Harry Benjamin's attempt to classify and understand various forms and subtypes of transvestism and transsexualism in people assigned male at birth, published in 1966. It was a seven-point scale ; it was analogous to the Kinsey Scale as it relates to sexual orientation, which also had seven categories.

<i>The Transsexual Empire</i> 1979 book by Janice Raymond

The Transsexual Empire: The Making of the She-Male is a 1979 book about transgender people by American radical feminist author and activist Janice Raymond. The book is derived from Raymond's dissertation, which was produced under the supervision of the feminist theologian Mary Daly.

Del LaGrace Volcano is an American artist, performer, and activist from California. A formally trained photographer, Volcano's work includes installation, performance and film and interrogates the performance of gender on several levels, especially the performance of masculinity and femininity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paisley Currah</span> Political scientist and author

Paisley Currah is political scientist and author, known for his work on the transgender rights movement. His book, Sex Is as Sex Does: Governing Transgender Identity examines the politics of sex classification in the United States. He is a professor of political science and women's and gender studies at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He was born in Ontario, Canada, received a B.A. from Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario and an M.A and Ph.D. in government from Cornell University. He lives in Brooklyn.

Transgender studies, also called trans studies or trans* studies, is an interdisciplinary field of academic research dedicated to the study of gender identity, gender expression, and gender embodiment, as well as to the study of various issues of relevance to transgender and gender variant populations. Interdisciplinary subfields of transgender studies include applied transgender studies, transgender history, transgender literature, transgender media studies, transgender anthropology and archaeology, transgender psychology, and transgender health. The research theories within transgender studies focus on cultural presentations, political movements, social organizations and the lived experience of various forms of gender nonconformity. The discipline emerged in the early 1990s in close connection to queer theory. Non-transgender-identified peoples are often also included under the "trans" umbrella for transgender studies, such as intersex people, crossdressers, drag artists, third gender individuals, and genderqueer people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monica Jones (activist)</span> American activist

Monica Jones is an American sex work activist. While a student at Arizona State University, Jones, who is an African American transgender woman, campaigned against Project ROSE, a police sting operation against sex workers, which were aided by the ASU School of Social Work and religious charities.

Iain Morland is a British music technologist and author. He formerly lectured in cultural criticism at Cardiff University. His writings focus on issues of gender and sexuality, medical ethics, and science. In 2005, Times Higher Education described Morland as a leading academic in the field of sex research. He has edited an edition of the journal GLQ, and co-authored Fuckology, a critical analysis of the writings and practices of John Money. With Lih-Mei Liao, Morland co-founded in 2002 Critical Sexology, a continuing interdisciplinary seminar series on gender and sexuality. His audio work includes audio editing, sound design and programming.

<i>Transgender Studies Quarterly</i> Academic journal

TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering transgender studies, with an emphasis on cultural studies and the humanities. Established in 2014 and published by Duke University Press, it is the first non-medical journal about transgender studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. Riley Snorton</span> American scholar, author, and activist

C. Riley Snorton is an American scholar, author, and activist whose work focuses on historical perspectives of gender and race, specifically Black transgender identities. His publications include Nobody is Supposed to Know: Black Sexuality on the Down Low and Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity. Snorton is currently Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. In 2014 BET listed him as one of their "18 Transgender People You Should Know". Snorton is a highly sought after speaker and considered one of the leading voices in Black studies and cultural theory.

Homonormativity is the adoption of heteronormative ideals and constructs onto LGBT culture and identity. It is predicated on the assumption that the norms and values of heterosexuality should be replicated and performed among homosexual people. Those who assert this theory claim homonormativity selectively privileges cisgender homosexuality as worthy of social acceptance.

Topside Press was an independent publisher of trans and feminist literature based in Brooklyn, New York that operated from 2011 to 2017. The press published fiction, memoirs, short story collections, poetry, and non-fiction by trans authors, for trans readers, and about trans characters. It is often credited as an important contributor to the "trans literary renaissance."

Carol S. Riddell is a British feminist and socialist sociologist and transgender lesbian who was active in the UK Women's liberation movement in the 1970s. She is known for authoring Divided Sisterhood, the first feminist critique of Janice Raymond's book The Transsexual Empire.

Sissy hypno is a form of pornography which purports to hypnotically persuade the person into self-feminization.

References

  1. 1 2 Knight, Kyle G.; Flores, Andrew R.; Nezhad, Sheila J. (2015-02-01). "Surveying Nepal's Third Gender: Development, Implementation, and Analysis". TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly. 2 (1): 101–122. doi:10.1215/23289252-2848904. ISSN   2328-9252.
  2. 1 2 Wong, Angela; Wickramasinghe, Maithree; hoogland, renee; Naples, Nancy A, eds. (2016-04-30). The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. doi:10.1002/9781118663219. ISBN   978-1-118-66321-9.
  3. Chatterjee, Shraddha (2018-08-01). "Transgender Shifts". TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly. 5 (3): 311–320. doi:10.1215/23289252-6900696. ISSN   2328-9252. S2CID   150455925.
  4. Sharma, Preetika (2018-10-26), "In-between the planned grid", The Production of Alternative Urban Spaces, Routledge, pp. 153–168, doi:10.4324/9781315103952-9, ISBN   9781315103952, S2CID   134847792 , retrieved 2021-10-22
  5. Stief, Matthew (January 2017). "The Sexual Orientation and Gender Presentation of Hijra, Kothi, and Panthi in Mumbai, India". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 46 (1): 73–85. doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0886-0. ISSN   0004-0002. PMID   27878410. S2CID   44767139.