SUBVERSIVE PERFORMANCES AND GENDER IDENTITY IN A.REVATHI’S THE TRUTH ABOUT ME: A HIJRA LIFE STORY (2010)

Abstract [English]

This paper explores the performative nature of gender identity through the lens of Judith Butler's concept of gender performativity and its application to transgender narratives, specifically A. Revathi's autobiography, The Truth About Me: A Hijra Life Story (2010). It examines how Revathi's lived experiences challenge the traditional binary framework of sex and gender by exposing the socially constructed and fluid nature of these categories. Drawing on Butler’s theoretical framework, the paper highlights how repeated performative acts, encompassing language, attire, and behavior, shape and affirm gender identity, revealing it as an ongoing cultural process rather than an innate essence. Revathi’s narrative, including her struggles with gender dysphoria, her journey toward self-acceptance, and the transformative impact of sex reassignment surgery, underscores the ways transgenders disrupt heteronormative notions of coherence between sex and gender. Furthermore, the study situates Revathi’s experiences within the broader socio-cultural context of Indian transgender communities, examining how societal norms and historical perceptions influence the performance of gender. By analyzing Revathi's life story, this paper concludes how transgenders use performance to navigate, resist, and redefine culturally imposed gender roles, thereby affirming Butler’s assertion that gender is a stylized and iterative construct, rather than an inherent reality.