• Gajanan Bonsale
• Dr. Maharudra Kapse
• Dr. Ashok Kadam

Abstract: This paper examines A. Revathi’s Truth About Me: A Hijra Life Story as a foundational text in the discourse on gender and sexuality in South Asia, highlighting its transformative contribution to understanding the hijra experience. Revathi’s memoir moves beyond a personal narrative to serve as a socio-political critique, challenging societal norms and dismantling stereotypes about the hijra community. Through her poignant recounting, she exposes the multifaceted struggles hijras face in a patriarchal, caste-bound society where non-conforming gender identities are marginalized. Her experiences of familial rejection, social ostracism, and systemic discrimination reveal the compounded challenges shaped by the intersections of gender, caste, sexuality, and economic exclusion. At the same time, Revathi’s narrative celebrates the resilience, cultural practices, and solidarity within the hijra community, emphasizing how they navigate oppression with dignity and resistance. Using a qualitative analytical framework and textual quotations, this study examines how Revathi’s storytelling becomes an act of identity assertion and agency. Her memoir humanizes the hijra experience while advocating for rights, recognition, and inclusion. Positioned within broader discussions of gender fluidity and marginalization, Truth About Me:A Hijra Life Story bridges personal and collective struggles, offering a unique inside perspective that challenges dominant narratives. This paper argues that Revathi’s work is both a deeply personal testimony and a broader call for equity and inclusion, reshaping public perceptions and advancing the discourse on hijra rights in India.

Hijra, Gender, Sexuality, Marginalization, Resilience, Memoir, Identity, A. Revathi

"From Margins to Center: Gender, Sexuality, and Resilience in Truth About Me: A Hijra Life Story by A. Revathi", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 4, page no.n800-n805, April-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2504D99.pdf

"From Margins to Center: Gender, Sexuality, and Resilience in Truth About Me: A Hijra Life Story by A. Revathi", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 4, page no. ppn800-n805, April-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2504D99.pdf