The memories came rushing back for A Revathi. When the transgender activist, author, and theatre actor, who lives a quiet life in Namakkal, got a WhatsApp message from a PhD student at Columbia University in New York City a few days ago, she was taken by surprise. She learned that her name was printed on a banner alongside those of women writers such as Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison, and was displayed in the campus’ Butler Library. It will remain there throughout the fall semester. Below it, etched in stone on the façade, are the names Aristotle, Plato, Cicero and Sophocles — all of them male. The banner was the result of a student-led movement to get women writers their due representation.
When Revathi realised the importance of this monumental action, events from her life flashed before her eyes. “I thought of all the pain I have gone through and where I am today,” recalls the 50-year-old. “My days in Delhi when I ran away from home since my family refused to give me my share of our property; the time I spent as a sex worker in Mumbai; rape and physical violence I suffered at the hands of rowdies there; the day I was stripped in a police station in Bengaluru and humiliated; the many instances I was killed with mere words...”
Revathi has never hidden anything about her life from anyone. “I have put it all out there for people to read in my autobiography The Truth About Me: A Hijra Life Story,” she recalls. “This is the only way I can write. I know there are certain rules for writing; a syntax and thread to expand on... but I do not follow any of them. I simply write the truth.” Revathi has three books to her credit — Unarvum Uruvamum in Tamil; and A Life in Trans Activism, apart from her autobiography.
She feels that it is the honesty in her work that has won her recognition. “Truth be told, I did not know about the students’ fight at Columbia to get the names of women writers put up in the library,” she says. “I know several universities have my books in their libraries, since students reach out to me regularly. But to have my name up there is an honour. It is bigger than any award.”
Revathi travels across the State with her 40-minute solo play Vellai Mozhi . “It is based on my book and has been conceptualised by theatre director and activist A Mangai,” she says.
She has so far performed it 33 times in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Her activism also sees her participate in conferences by the National Federation of Indian Women — she is a State and national core committee member.
Apart from this, she mostly spends her days alone or with her adopted daughters from the community. “I know I have come a long way,” she says. “I must add that setting aside the dark days in my life, I have also met some good people who have encouraged me and shown me affection,” says Revathi. “This includes writer Perumal Murugan, Urvashi Butalia of Zubaan Books, writer V Geetha, and novelist Bama.”
Revathi says that for her, writing is cathartic. “But I do not write with any plan. I just let my thoughts flow and then work on the material. In fact, I rewrote my autobiography five times,” she says. She adds that her friends did ask her if she had to say it all in her books. “But I wanted to show the world what people from the transgender community go through. I did not tell the story of just one Revathi. There can be many Revathis out there and someone has to educate the society about her,” she says.
Revathi speaks to us from Thiruvananthapuram where she is part of a theatre performance at the Soorya Festival. “I have travelled quite a bit — I have been to London, Switzerland, Sri Lanka...” she says.
But the fear is still there. “I cannot quite describe it,” she says. “The discrimination has come down over the years. But deep down, I live with the thought, ‘Will someone say or do something to hurt me today?’”
