(Thread)
Three different garments and what they mean to me as a Desi trans woman:

The Khada Dupatta -
The Khada Dupatta is a Hyderabadi garment that was popularised during the Nizam rule by the Nizam's begums.
As a trans woman from Hyderabad, I have always been excluded from Hyderabadi circles. So donning this garment, for me, would mean reclaiming that space.

Seeing all the women in my family wearing this garment would make me envy them because they got to be a part of a space that I've always been pushed out of. The Khada Dupatta isn't just a garment to me, it's symbolic of me taking up that space.

The Saree -
All my friends have seen me yearning for a saree, it isn't just because I admire the beauty of it. The saree is seen as the height of femininity and Grace in Indian culture. So much so that there are ceremonies dedicated to wearing it for the first time

Trans women's femininity and womanhood is always being questioned, debated, doubted.
Wearing a saree isn't just a performance of femininity, it's reclamation of yet another space trans women have been excluded from. I've said before, a saree is my birthright and I shall have it.

The Anarkali -
If you've watched Pakeezah, Mughal-e-Azam, Devdas etc. you'll notice one thing that the courtesans in those movies all wore, it was the Anarkali. Seeing sex workers exhibiting grace and glamour meant the world to me (also as an aspiring sex worker)

Wearing an Anarkali, for me, is about replicating that pride and resilience in the face of hatred and exclusion. It's about showing my oppressors that despite their best efforts, I will continue to live a life full of colour and carry myself with pride.

Thank you for reading this thread. I'm sure you must've noticed a recurring theme in all the posts, they're all about reclamation of spaces I've been excluded from. So let this serve as a reminder to be more inclusive in all your spaces