Eunuchs are male, Indian court rules

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Eunuchs are male, Indian court rules in job dispute

Associated Press

Jabalpur, India -- A court in central India has ruled that eunuchs are male, barring them from seeking elected offlees reserved for women.

The High Court of Madhya Pradesh state upheld a lower court ruling barring Kamla

Jaan from becoming mayor of the town of Katni because the post was set aside for women to encourage their participation in politics.

The town planned to hold another election. Jaan - who had been the first eunuch to win public office in India -

planned to appeal to India's Supreme Court.

Eunuchs live on the fringes of India's class-conscious society, surviving by begging and collecting tips for dancing at weddings, blessing newborns and taking part in other ceremonies.