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Only three participants audition for Indian Super Queen, a beauty pageant for transgenders
The ramp was ready, the banners announcing the unique beauty pageant had been put up, the bouncers were on guard and even media photographers had arrived at the auditorium. Only the beauties were missing.
Interestingly, this was no ordinary beauty contest. It was the first round of auditions for Indian Super Queen, a beauty pageant for transgenders.
A flop show? The three participants who arrived for the audition of the
pagaent at Delhi University on Wednesday.
In the audition, three beauties were to be selected who would then go on to compete with finalists from 10 other cities. However, only three participants turned up for the event held in the city on Wednesday.
Allegedly, Delhi transgenders had boycotted the event. Reason: dispute within the community.
However, the sole judge of the event, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, founder of the Asia Pacific Transgender Network, had something else to say. "Transgenders are busy today for Lohri. Also, they have been in the closet for years. It will take them time to step out and be proud of themselves. Even if two or three contestants turn up today, my purpose is solved," Tripathi said.
After a huge turnout at the queer parades in Delhi, the contest was expected to draw many from the community.
The dispute in the community regarding the contest, however, was clearly visible.
Seeta, a kinner social activist from Delhi was against the pageant. "We have no education or medical rights in this country. Even today our condition is as bad as it was years ago. People still laugh at us. Why should I be a part of this (walk the ramp), to make more fun of my community? I want to walk with the kinner samaj," Seeta said.
Sanjay Sachdev, patron of the Panther Kinner Front agreed. "Some people have started this contest to gain publicity and make money. Most of the eunuchs in the city were not approached. We are being projected as saleable items, so none of the kinners participated. We are fighting for equal rights and want to live with dignity and pride," Sachdev said. | 
