Today's news of a legal case in India:

Delhi court: Castration as a penalty is ironical

India Today

12 January 2015

New Delhi – A Delhi court has termed ironical "any suggestion on castration as punishment to serial rapists as some men get themselves castrated with the sole purpose of achieving monetary gains by acquiring 'badhai' rights".

'Badhai' rights are the societal privileges given to transgenders or eunuchs to earn money by conferring blessings on occasion like a new venture, wedding or birth.

Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau was hearing a case of a 50-year old man who said he was working as a drummer with eunuchs when some monetary disputes arose and the eunuchs served him a sedative-laced drink and castrated him. Later, however, litigant Ramesh changed his version to tell police he got himself castrated willingly to get a share of the 'badhai' earnings his eunuch friends were denying him.

The judge pulled up the police for bringing a frivolous case but observed it as "ironical" and "hypocritical" that, in India, while a male gets himself castrated with the sole purpose of achieving monetary gains, any suggestion of castration as punishment to rapists evokes strong sentiments".

The court acquitted eunuchs Bobby and Khalibuddin for castrating Ramesh. Co-accused Lalita, Ram Babu, Lakshmi and Shobha, all transgenders or eunuchs, were discharged by the court earlier of the charges of castrating with an intention to kill.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/delh ... 12739.html

Only in India, a country that has truly embraced a third sex.

River

"ironical" and "hypocritical", in this case, only that tell

A third sex? The hijra is a strang creature in Indian society. I think that while I am sure there are happy folks the world over, we might be careful to copy them not too closely?

daifu-orchid (imported) wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2015 8:10 pm A third sex? The hijra is a strang creature in Indian society. I think that while I am sure there are happy folks the world over, we might be careful to copy them not too closely?

Some 9of the stories I read about Hijra, no way I would want to follow too closely

I think the interesting thing in this case is that they didn't get any charge at all for the castration, whether it was voluntary or not the Indian court system is based on British system and I would expect that practicing medicine without a license or endangerment could still be leveled at them.

SplitDik (imported) wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:36 pm I think the interesting thing in this case is that they didn't get any charge at all for the castration, whether it was voluntary or not the Indian court system is based on British system and I would expect that practicing medicine without a license or endangerment could still be leveled at them.

Interesting, but the Hijra are tolerated / accepted without challenge to what they do or why. I'm with Kristoff - I would make a poor hijra but it seems many are happy.