We too are human beings: Transgender activist Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi said

'In India, the hijra community is often seen as a bad omen. If a mother sees a hijra, she would order her daughter inside the room. This fear comes from a mindset that we are vile,' said Tripathi who was here to attend "The Shift Series" conference on the fearless journey of a woman.

'We too are human beings and should be treated like one. People need to go back to the scriptures and read how honoured the transgender community once was. This would make things better and easier for people to accept us unconditionally,' she added.

Born in an orthodox Brahmin family in Thane in Maharashtra, Lakshmi was lucky to find support from her family, which encouraged her to take up dance and theatre, and chose not to disown her.

An arts graduate from Mumbai's Mithibai College and with a post-graduate degree in Bharatnatyam, she was often ridiculed by people on the streets. Tripathi recollected how their nasty remarks never bothered her.

'I was comfortable with myself; so what others said never bothered me. That was the time when I was a queen, an epitome of sexuality, and I had many boyfriends. All this while I found I was very feminine,' she said.