<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/4315c798-7fcf-4b65-b3ca-b114aa98d035/B1F02B4B-878A-4C8D-8D04-DD80D4EE36D1/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/10/13/close-encounters-of-the-third-sex-the-hijras-of-india/" href="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/10/13/close-encounters-of-the-third-sex-the-hijras-of-india/" style="font-size: 11px;">www.bravenewtraveler.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/10/13/close-encounters-of-the-third-sex-the-hijras-of-india/"><H2 id="post-5652"><A rel="bookmark" href="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/10/13/close-encounters-of-the-third-sex-the-hijras-of-india/">Close Encounters of the Third Sex: The Hijras of India</A></H2></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/10/13/close-encounters-of-the-third-sex-the-hijras-of-india/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.bravenewtraveler.com/img/29ED9F3B-6484-4D91-93AB-F188B75EF021" alt="hijras" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/10/13/close-encounters-of-the-third-sex-the-hijras-of-india/"><P>Already, the train journey from Chennai to Kolkata was proving to be a challenging one. As we were getting nearer to one of the <A href="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/03/19/can-slum-tourism-be-done-right-eric-weiner-says-yes/">poorest</A> areas in India, there was a constant procession of beggars. We were four westerners and too many Indian men sitting together in a regular sleeper-class train compartment. </P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/10/13/close-encounters-of-the-third-sex-the-hijras-of-india/"><P>At every stop, children, men, and women dressed in rags and despair would offer food, goods, or entertainment in the hopes of making a few rupees. Their eyes robbed me of any ease I might be feeling about being there and owning what I own. </P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/10/13/close-encounters-of-the-third-sex-the-hijras-of-india/"><P>Still, the most disturbing encounters were yet to come. </P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/10/13/close-encounters-of-the-third-sex-the-hijras-of-india/"><P>The <EM>hijras</EM> – eunuchs, transsexuals, or transgender men – announced themselves by clapping their hands and making a racket. When they arrived to our compartment, they stood in all their weight and flamboyance, requiring money before allowing us to continue quietly with our travels. </P></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/B1F02B4B-878A-4C8D-8D04-DD80D4EE36D1/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>

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