ABSTRACT
Invisibilization of non-normative sexual or gender identities has been carried on through multiple strategies such as denial of agency, suppression of voices, infantilization and derogatory nomenclature. Vanita and Kidwai's tracing the queer identities back to ancient India historicize the presence of queer identities within the Indian consciousness and can be taken as one of the strategies to situate the presence of transgender in the ambit of Indian sexuality. By historicizing, Vanita and Kidwai add a greater legitimation to the claims of the Queer community. Renju Renjimar is a celebrity makeup artist, a theatre personality and a trans-rights activist situated in Kerala. She talks about the crisis in her life, her coming to terms with her sexuality, fighting the social stigma regarding the trans community, and her efforts to rehabilitate the disrupted lives of trans individuals who often leave their homes and workplaces, unable to cope with the oppressions that they have to face on account of their sexual identities.
