Archie Singh, a 22-year-old transwoman and model will be representing India at Miss International Trans 2021 in Columbia.
Growing up in a middle-class Delhi family, Archie always felt like a woman. “From school days, I knew I was a woman, and I am glad my family supported me when I came out,” she told News18.
At the age of 17, Archie came out about what she perceived her gender to be. She then started pursuing her modelling career. Soon after, Archie started and continued with her gender-reassignment surgery so that she could fully transform into a woman.
Archie has seen various highs in her career including winning Miss Trans India, becoming the brand ambassador for a brand, however, the discrimination still persists in bits.
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“I am a woman, and I’m trans, but I’m equally a woman. My official government ID recognizes me as a woman, and I have had gender-reassignment surgery, I told them,” Archie mentioned, recalling the discrimination she faces regularly. “But they didn’t listen. They wanted a ‘woman who wasn’t trans’ but didn’t want to say that,” she added.
Nevertheless, by taking part in Miss International Trans 2021, Archie hopes to help curb the stigma around her community. “I never got rejected because of my skill or my looks. It was because I was trans,” mentioned Archie.
“Gender should never be a barrier. For any potential human, their humanity should come first as an identity. Not their sexuality, or choice of work,” Archie said.