In India and Pakistan, Hijras are a recognized community of transgender, intersex, or eunuch individuals. They live in organized kinship systems called the guru–chela system and have a long-standing, though often marginalized, cultural role.

LGBTQ+ culture is a global movement built on shared experiences of identity and advocacy. The acronym has expanded over time to be more inclusive of diverse experiences:

An individual’s internal sense of being male, female, both, or neither.

Signifies other identities such as Pansexual, Two-Spirit, and non-conforming individuals who are part of the community but not explicitly named in the primary acronym.

While visibility has increased through media and legal milestones, the community continues to face significant hurdles:

The term is an umbrella concept for individuals whose gender identity or expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. It is distinct from sexual orientation; a transgender person may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or asexual.