right of transgender women to be recognized as female and transgender men to be
recognized as male. This was considered a landmark ruling symbolizing legal approval
for India’s millions of “hijra,” and the broader transgender community.261 In November
2014, a Malaysian Appeals Court ruled that a state Sharia-law ban on cross-dressing
was unconstitutional 262 and Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Germany and other
countries now all recognize a third gender.263
Similar changes are occurring in the educational sphere. In May 2014, the Education
Department of Vancouver, Canada amended its 2004 regulations on “Sexual Orientation
and Gender Identity.” The most significant changes in the draft amendments relate to
transgender students: Students can decide
their attire based on their gender identity, and
students have the right to choose which toilet
or locker room to use based on their gender
identity. Being transgender is defined to not
just include people who have undergone
SRS, but also those who express their gender
identity through their attire and their names.264
“In many aspects, transgender
female sex workers face similar
challenges to other sex workers.
However, these challenges are
often magnified by the double
stigma and discrimination
associated with sex work and a
In many aspects, transgender female sex
transgender identity. In places
workers face similar challenges to other
where sex work is criminalized,
sex workers. However, these challenges are
sex workers are at significant
often magnified by the double stigma and
risk of experiencing violence
discrimination associated with sex work and a
in the course of their work,
transgender identity. In places where sex work
often as a result of punitive law
is criminalized, sex workers are at sign Y