Nakshatra Rajput
Birthplace:
Delhi
Residence:
Delhi
Qualification:
BBA
Inspiration:
Aryan Pasha, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, family and friends
A FORCE TO RECKON WITH
He is a former Ranji player who has represented India’s women’s team in the Under-19 BKSP Cricket Cup. After realising and accepting his true gender identity, he now inspires and counsels the transgender community to come out with their truth. He also manages the first transgender men’s salon in India. A true trendsetter.
An ingenuous and free-spirited person, he lived his early life without bothering much about his sexuality until he was made aware of his gender while studying in class VI. The ‘happiness bubble’ that he was living in suddenly burst when he was told that he was a girl, not a boy.
Out of sheer innocence, he thought God was punishing him for some mistake and started praying for forgiveness. But gradually, he realised the truth.
In the beginning, when he was expected to behave and live like a girl, his struggle to accept society’s expectations and his inability to express his true identity were visible only to his family. They thought it was just a passing phase and things would change with time.
But the struggle was real and went on for quite a long time because he thought he was the only person going through such a situation. He wondered why he was like that. His inability to express his identity and continue to live his gender-lie made him fiercely aggressive. He would often get into fights with others – he grew sulky and grouchy.
The gender identity confusion persisted during his growing years. Afterwards, Nakshatra started channelling his aggression into sports and he became an ace cricketer – a Ranji player who represented India’s women’s cricket team in the Under-19 BKSP Cricket Cup.
However, he finally decided to quit the sport because he thought some other female player deserved that spot.
The journey of his transition was not easy; he knew it wasn’t going to be just him transitioning, but his family too, and friends and society too – they’d all have to deal with emotional challenges.
Newspaper article that changed his life
When he was in class 11, he had read an article in a newspaper about an Australian woman transitioning into a man through medical therapy. It filled him with a zeal to take things in his stride and not just compromise. Nakshatra always relied on the mantra of persistence and patience – he would put in all his efforts to make people understand his identity.
He started researching about transgender men, their stories and the medical therapies available in India. Soon, he started earning so that he could save money for his gender reassignment surgery.
He finally came out to his parents in April 2020 and was indeed fortunate to have their support that he could count on. His brother became his pillar of strength and supported him throughout his journey.
He considers himself blessed to have such supportive and loving people around him for he knows there are so many transgender people who do not have such luck and many fall prey to assault within and outside the family.
Also, the fact that many people, confused about their orientation, gender identity, etc., commit suicide or walk the wrong path disturbed him a lot. He wanted to do something for them, he wanted to be an example for others.
The liberation
Nakshatra got the surgery done in November 2021. The transition turned out to be a liberating experience for him – not only did it boost his confidence but also diminished the aggressive streak in his persona.
He now works as a manager at La Beauté & Style, the first salon for transgender men in India. The salon, he contends, is not just a workplace but a home, a family and a community where everyone is accepted and taken care of.
In India, people are aware of the transgender women community or hijra but transgender men is a concept that many still struggle to grasp. So, when people come to the salon, it helps them to spread awareness about transgender men.
He is now a proud member of a group led by the award-winning bodybuilder, Aryan Pasha, which supports and motivates transgender people to come out without any guilt. They not only counsel people but also arrange doctor’s appointments and disburse information on medical facilities.
While noting that there has been a shift in his mindset after the transition, he says, “The thoughts earlier were extremely trivial, as I see them now – I used to wonder whether people will accept me if someone loves me as I am, how will people react, etc. Now what I see is a bigger picture of life – my goals, people at large, helping them. I explore places, set goals and work to achieve them.”
He leaves no stone unturned to contribute to his community. Along with a team, he distributed rations to the needy during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
The sense of belief
He has a generous heart and a strong will to live life on his terms. He refuses to live by the norms of society and has always believed in himself, more after the transition.
“The people who mattered had their concerns in accepting me, but they didn’t ever tell me I was wrong. They took time to completely understand and accept me, and it’s fair – it can’t be accepted overnight,” he admits.
His self-belief and patience boosted his will to come out and gain the support of his family and friends. “The road might be long and laden with hardships but with persistent effort and patience, we can gain the support of our loved ones.”
With his aspirations high, he prepared to represent India in the Gay Games 2023, bodybuilding category, in Hong Kong; however, due to financial issues, he couldn’t. He then planned and prepared to participate in Greyline Classic India and won it in the physique competition.
“I had never thought I’d do this but once while driving a few girls to a wedding, I suddenly got into a heated argument with some strong-built men on the road. The girls seemed scared of them, and I doubted my ability to defend them and myself – I felt helpless – something I didn’t even feel when I was trapped in a female body.
“I somehow managed to get out of there and the girls were safe as well, but the helplessness is a strange feeling – it sparked the flame of bodybuilding in me so that I never again feel physically helpless.”
VISION FOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY
Nakshatra wants the LGBTQ+ community to know that things are changing at a gradual pace only because of their continuous efforts. “We can’t stop now, we can’t doubt ourselves now, we can’t lose heart now. And it’s not just one part of the community, but every member of the community who’s working in a broader sense. Some families now understand, and the acceptance of transgender people in mainstream society is no longer impossible. Jobs are being created, reservations are being held, some are getting educated – all towards inclusivity.” The nation, however, still has a scope to progress in medical expertise for the transgender community. “Being a transgender person is no longer a taboo as the concept is getting recognition and expression through art and cinema. I hope things will improve further in the coming years.”
MESSAGE FOR THE MAINSTREAM SOCIETY
He wishes to see an inclusive society with space for the transgender community. He understands that some people will willingly accept them and some would take time, and still, there would be some who would not be comfortable sharing the space with them. For them, he says, “Either accept me or forget me. I can leave, but don’t hate me because I know many others who love me.” It’s imperative to understand that transgender people too are responsible, loving and normal people, he explains.
FIVE FACTS ABOUT NAKSHATRA
He loves to travel.
This foodie loves desi home-cooked food and loves cooking
Passionate about fitness and workouts, he loves outdoor sports like cycling and running and goes to the gym regularly.
He wants to compete with cisgender men. “I am a man,” he says proudly.
He loves music, fusion the most and sometimes classical plus rock or classical plus Sufi.
