Transgender CISF constable gets recognized as male after four-year battle
After a four-year battle, a transgender cop who underwent a sex change surgery has been accepted as male by the CISF. He joined the force in 2008 as a woman, but decided to change his sex due to India's anti-homosexuality laws. He became a man in 2012, applied for gender change in the CISF in May, and was finally approved in February'17.
He had to deal with several personal and professional problems
Before the operation, he faced many problems. He avoided going to his hometown as people used to pester him to get married (to a man). In the CISF, he would often be assigned to frisk women in the Delhi Metro, something he felt uncomfortable doing. On the other hand, his female colleagues, who considered him a man, would refuse to share barracks with him.
He had to undergo strenuous physical challenges to prove masculinity
To prove his masculinity in the CISF, he had to undergo physical exercises and multiple medical tests meant for men. Simultaneously, he was taking hormonal injections daily and repaying the loan he took for the surgery. He got married to a woman colleague in 2013 amid name-calling and taunting. This was a first for the CISF. It took them over four years to decide.
What's next for the constable?
The CISF now has to decide his posting, including whether he should be assigned to frisk male passengers. "It was a unique case, but we've taken a stand…Since he proved it during physical exams, the medical board has cleared him as male," said an official.
