Neither: The Birth of Transgender

They say, 'congratulations, it is a girl' or 'It is a boy'...often these are the first words uttered when a baby is born. These utterances are based on the genitals visible between the newly born's legs. From then onwards the infant's fate is sealed and his pr her training starts in earnest. A boy is given a Toy like Guns, Cars, Tanks, and construction Kits and Girls are given Dolls, kitchen sets or sewing kits etc. Society even decides which colors the baby wears- blue for a boy or pink for a girl.. This gender related differences continue throughout the child's upbringing eventually resulting in an adult who has been trained to behave in a strictly feminine or masculine manners. Anyone who does not confirm is labeled as 'Weirdo'. However where as child's sex is decided on the basis of the organs between the legs, its gender identity ( self identification as male or female) is decided by the several complex factors which have still not been understood by the medical profession. This is what transsexualism is all about. Gender identity is the sense that one feels for a particular sex not only biologically but also psychologically and socially. It is an extremely subjective entity which is independent of one's biological sex. Quite apart from the biological sex that we are born with (determined by the genitals), all of us possess a gender identity. Transsexualism is a form of gender identity disorder (Gender disphoria) in which a person with a particular anatomical sexual differentiation is convinced that he or she is actually a member of opposite sex. This conviction which is accompanied by a profound hatred for the individuals own sexual characteristics, is absolute, overwhelming and in-congruence between the biological sex and gender identity and it is the most extreme form of gender disphoria. The novel ' NEITHER' highlights the need for flexible norms and attitude of the society in general and also framing of Laws pertaining to human rights to accept and accommodate them as human being for their dignified existence. NEITHER also attempts to explain chronologically how this transsexualism might have taken place during the course of many incarnations in the life and life after death of a person before he is born again. 'Neither' is just not an experience but a journey which has no destination, 'Neither' is a pain which has no relief, 'Neither' is a narration which is difficult to understand, ' 'Neither' talks about the 'Normal' with abnormality, 'Neither' has many interpretations but very few solutions. For me 'Neither' is a miracle which unearthed many mysteries of human kind. Authoring 'Neither' was a discovery of the evolution of another human sexuality not many people might be familiar with. -Author