ABSTRACT
Kothi as a self-assumed gender identity in parts of South Asia stands at the cusp of ‘subaltern sexuality’ and ‘subordinate masculinity’. Their entrapment in the contrary domains of homo-erotic desire and hetero-normative kinship, in smaller towns of western India, compels them to perform dual gender. Some of the kothis ‘successfully’ manoeuvre their self and subjectivity in these domains, while others are only partly successful in performing dual gender. A greater degree of kothiness (femaleness) surfaces noticeably on the body of the latter group, which, in turn, remain more amenable to domestic and public violence and is likely to suffer disengagements from family and kinship domains. This essay delineates how the marginalized kothis negotiate their everyday lives in their ‘normative family and kin’ contexts through the ‘secret money’ they earn through sex work.
