Assessing Economic Participation of Transgender Communities:
An Ethnographic Study in Bengaluru
Swarupa Deb and Kala Seetharam Sridhar
Abstract
This paper examines the differential access to economic participation faced by transgender communities in Bengaluru, India. It endeavours to fill the conceptual gap with a granular-level understanding of entrenched stigma that perpetuates transgender economic exclusion, including labour and consumer market discrimination, corporate pinkwashing, lack of entrepreneurial opportunities, exclusion from land ownership, and occupational immobility. The paper draws from 120 personal interviews and participant observation with individuals from diverse transgender communities and socio-economic backgrounds. It finds significant barriers to economic participation, such as widespread stigmatisation, lack of mentorship, structural ambiguity related to gender transition, and internalised fears among transgender community members in Bengaluru. The study also emphasises superficiality within Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as well as intersecting frameworks of marginalisation, including caste, class, and religion, which further exacerbate transgender economic exclusion in Bengaluru. We conclude by offering new insights for improving transgender economic inclusion, drawing on the perspectives of the participants to recommend structural reforms.