Consider it as an irony or an opportunity, one stereotype in our society for being labeled as female is that we have excuse for bleeding every month since it’s what supposed to make us female.  In our society where from hundreds of generation, morphological character has been the sole trademark for demarking our roles and responsibilities. Imagine being totally different from what we appear and not being able to express it. It is said that road to life is curved one, then why people have to be straight one? 

Bhakti Shah, one of the proud Trans male is that one courageous tiger, who stood up to create space for those who don’t fit in the societal rules and regulation. He has been actively involved in ensuring rights of such people who are looked down by the society, especially with the myths associated with the transgender. According to him, being introduced as transgender is enough to create nuisance in the hall and raise the suspicious eyes. LGBT communities are alienated by the people judging by their physical appearance where their heart is ignored. Even though literacy rate and living standard have raised in our country still our mentality dates back to 100 yrs. Apart from being judged by the people, He also shows his concern regarding the lack of appropriate information among the LGBT communities about the anatomical function of our body. According to him, he had been hiding the fact that he bleeds every month from his wife and organization for which he works for more than 8 years and the reason behind it is painful.

Bhakti Shah with confidence as high as mountain, he feels that he can take up any challenges or job however, the monthly routine of body threatens his self respect.  In our society where females are considered to be weak just because they bleed, he simply don’t want to be looked down as a weak one. Besides that, to live normal life among the mass of people he likes to be addressed as male member, tough and rough so, upon disclosing them his period problem will make him to look like a normal girl.  The problem associated with menstruation is not about the identity crisis only rather it is even more than that. According to him, A Trans-male should always be secretly armed with the needed toiletries at time of period like any Spy agent at war. It’s very difficult to explain at home about the blood stain where misconception that Trans-male doesn’t bleed runs at family. It’s even more difficult to manage the pain and waste. The real struggle comes at the time of using toilet during period days as, they simply cannot use the urinal and most of the toilets are nonfunctional due to lack of water. The situation of public toilet is even worse than that. Problem of Trans Male regarding menstruation does not end here, with the fear of identity crisis most of them do not consult doctors during their worse days also which results in dangerous infection and even cancer. More than the health counseling they need morale boost so that they can come up with their health problem and aware others also.

Bhakti Shah and his struggle for where he stands is one long and tyrannous journey for him where, menstruation and stigma associated with it further piles up the hurdles. For all the Bhakti shah’s masked somewhere by the layers of Masculinity, it’s very important to come up with the issues related with the menstruation and aware others also that every bleeding person is not female only rather trans male also have their issues and it’s a matter of safety and dignity.

- NEHA BASNET