Transgender Sex Work in Sri Lanka
The Politics of Nachchi Sex Workers
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Beschreibung
"Transgender sex workers” is a scarcely explored area in academic discourses, garnering widespread interest amongst gender and sexuality scholars around the world. This book explores the narratives and experiences of Nachchi sex workers in contemporary Sri Lanka; a local term for a community assigned male at birth but who choose to live as women with a preference for male partners. It explores their lived experiences and stories through unique interviews, critically examining the historical and post-colonial (and post-war) discourses originating from the Sri Lankan state and civil society. It challenges the hegemonic, neo-liberal narratives that tend to homogenise and simplify their subjectivities. It also dissects the realm of ‘politics,’ particularly subaltern politics and how this colonial population is excluded from the hierarchy of power. This book takes a decolonial approach to the historical knowledge production on Nachchi sex worker subjectivities by unearthing important, yet suppressed verbal histories and narrations of living community members. The author also reflects on her journey, transitioning from a researcher and academic to a full-time politician, a transformation that shapes her evolving perspectives on politics throughout the writing of the book.
Kaushalya Ariyarathne completed her LL.B at the University of Colombo and her Master's in Human Rights and Justice at Keele University, UK. She obtained her PhD from the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Colombo. Kaushalya is an academic and researcher who was elected as a political representative in 2024. She is currently serving as a Member of Parliament in Sri Lanka.
"Transgender sex workers” is a scarcely explored area in academic discourses, garnering widespread interest amongst gender and sexuality scholars around the world. This book explores the narratives and experiences of Nachchi sex workers in contemporary Sri Lanka; a local term for a community assigned male at birth but who choose to live as women with a preference for male partners. It explores their lived experiences and stories through unique interviews, critically examining the historical and post-colonial (and post-war) discourses originating from the Sri Lankan state and civil society. It challenges the hegemonic, neo-liberal narratives that tend to homogenise and simplify their subjectivities. It also dissects the realm of ‘politics,’ particularly subaltern politics and how this colonial population is excluded from the hierarchy of power. This book takes a decolonial approach to the historical knowledge production on Nachchi sex worker subjectivities by unearthing important, yet suppressed verbal histories and narrations of living community members. The author also reflects on her journey, transitioning from a researcher and academic to a full-time politician, a transformation that shapes her evolving perspectives on politics throughout the writing of the book.
Offers original insights from a primary data set Builds on the growing need for research exploring sex work in the global South Contributes to gender and sexuality studies, post-colonial and subaltern studies, feminist theory, transgender studies
Autor*in
Kaushalya Ariyarathne
Themen in »Transgender Sex Work in Sri Lanka«
Discrimination Human rights Identity politics Gender studies Sexuality and gender social policy Transgender studies Post-colonial studies Feminist theory
Stimmen zu »Transgender Sex Work in Sri Lanka«
“This book remains a landmark study, and I commend Ariyarathne for taking on this project – especially given her positionalities. The significance of the book is both academic and practical: it expands South Asian queer and sex work studies, unsettles dominant narratives, and offers insights for policymakers, activists and academics alike. … For me, as a feminist researcher and scholar working on Nachchi sex workers, this text is not just an analysis but a steppingstone for future research.” (F. Zahrah Rizwan, Polity Social Scientists’ Association, polity.lk, October 22, 2025)
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