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a 2013 interview, she said "We need reservation on the basis of gender, not caste. But it has to be more complex. But I definitely do not want to be OBC. And you will understand why as a dalit, I do not want to come under the OBC category of all things! Puttings transgenders under a oppressed caste category erases the caste privileges that savarna transgenders have. It is better for us to have caste and gender based reservation so that dalit women and dalit transgenders get representation. Otherwise reservation will only benefit savarna transgenders and dalit men."
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2013 interview, Smiley traces the roots of her public art and activism to her realization that "since all women get oppressed under patriarchy, and trans women and dalit women through the combined might of patriarchy with casteism and transphobia, I might as well have a loud mouth and be assertive than take everything silently – to be a strong but silent woman was not enough."
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She was one of several trans people who approached the Madras High Court asking for a 3% reservation under a new category. “When parents see a transgender child," she said, "they think of begging or sex work as their future. How will they accept their own children if these are their only options?” In
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woman, worked as a street cleaner, in addition to domestic work. As a child, she described herself as being "a woman in my heart…even as I was being given male privilege.…I was mistaken to be male and couldn’t yet articulate that I was a girl and so I was educated much more than my sisters." In a
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in applied linguistics. In a 2014 interview, she said "while doing my post-graduation at university, I spent most of the time in the
Theater Department rather than my Linguistics Department…So I was able to do a couple of plays."
184:, where she plays a trans woman seeking housing in Chennai, but facing discrimination; the film, a mix of fiction and documentary, was based in part on her own extensive experiences with housing discrimination.
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Smiley has been described as the first full-time trans theater actress in India, participating in over twenty performances with at least nine directors. According to
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Smiley reports receiving death threats for her activism around caste starting in 2014 or 2015; her subsequent application for asylum in
Switzerland was denied.
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220:, along with fellow trans activists Angel Glady and Gee Imaan Semmalar, inspired in part by cultural groups she saw in London. Panmai's productions included
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In addition to theater, Smiley has worked as a clown, and described her experience as a dancer as being an important part of her journey as a trans woman.
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In 2013, Smiley was awarded a scholarship by the
Charles Wallace India Trust to pursue theatre in the UK. She spent six months of theater training at the
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231:, in Switzerland. The piece touches on the mental and physical scars that associated with having her male body blend into her feminine identity.
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She described her family as belonging to the
Arunthatiyar caste in Andhra Pradesh, migrating to Chennai several generations ago. Her mother, a
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project describes Living Smile Vidya as "the first trans person to have her chosen gender identity reflected in her passport."
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457:"(Trans)gender and caste lived experience – Transphobia as a form of Brahminism: An Interview of Living Smile Vidya"
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636:"Two transwomen in Chennai go looking for a house to rent. 'Is it Too Much To Ask? is aptly named"
129:, she settled in Tamil Nadu, where she began her career working for two years at a rural bank in
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Smiley has engaged in activism rooted in Dalit and trans communities, and has been critical of
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93:, is an Indian actress, assistant director, writer, and trans and Dalit rights activist from
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831:"'You're educated, safe in India': Swiss officials reject Chennai trans woman's asylum"
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490:"An Interview with Panmai, A Trans and Mixed-Caste Theatre Troupe from India"
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153:, Smiley known for her acting if Srijith Sundaram's Kattiyakkaari production
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515:"Trans Indians beg for mercy killings rather than lives of discrimination"
856:"भारत छोड़ना चाहती है यह किन्नर एक्टिविस्ट, पर स्विजरलैंड ने नहीं दी शरण"
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transgender people who claim to represent her entire community.
805:"Caste and Religion Create Barriers Within the Hijra Community"
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546:"The Heroines of My Life: Interview with Living Smile Vidya"
429:"Transgender woman opens up home for Chennai flood-affected"
224:, which has been performed in India and the United States.
395:"Transcending odds, she is set to study theatre in London"
361:"Living Smile Vidya wins Charles Wallace 2013 scholarship"
576:"Dalit History Month – Inspirational Living Smile Vidya"
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Schwald, Marcel; Leuenberger, Chris (7 December 2017).
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Sujatha, R.; Sangameswaran, K. T. (16 December 2013).
699:"EF_FEMININITY - dancer profile: Living Smile Vidya"
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273:, and translated into seven languages, including
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160:She has acted in several short films, including
299:, based on her autobiography of the same name.
207:London International School of Performing Arts
145:Living Smile Vidya in a theatrical performance
289:. She was the subject of the award-winning
80:Actor, writer, transgender rights activist
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881:Vidya, Living Smile (1 November 2014).
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884:I Am Vidya: A Transgender's Journey
779:"Living Smile Vidya bei "Schamlos""
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113:Vidya holds a master's degree from
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521:. 7 September 2015. Archived from
319:Rao, Subha J. (15 November 2016).
227:In 2019, she performed her piece,
25:
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986:21st-century Indian women writers
829:Mantri, Geetika (6 August 2018).
660:Rao, Subha J. (31 October 2015).
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544:Kowalska, Monika (2 March 2014).
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488:Ahmad, Asam (28 September 2015).
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427:Das, Monalisa (4 December 2015).
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133:, and got involved with theatre.
125:, she begged for a living. After
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212:In 2014, Smiley co-founded the
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981:21st-century Indian actresses
605:"Living Smile Vidya — Artist"
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976:Transgender rights activists
971:Indian transgender actresses
966:Indian LGBT rights activists
785:(in German). 30 January 2019
744:"Verdiene ich diese Narben?"
580:Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Caravan
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168:, and in documentary films
127:gender-reassignment surgery
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991:Indian transgender writers
190:She has also worked as an
121:After she moved away from
946:Transgender women writers
862:(in Hindi). 7 August 2018
115:Tanjavur Tamil University
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550:The Heroines of My Life
265:Smiley's autobiography
996:Indian autobiographers
941:Actresses from Chennai
609:The Hindu Lit for Life
296:Naanu Avanalla...Avalu
261:Autobiography and film
182:Is it Too Much to Ask?
146:
1001:Women autobiographers
887:. Rupa Publications.
321:"Despair before hope"
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910:"Her life on screen"
662:"Her life on screen"
718:"Living in a trans"
241:Dalit History Month
222:Colour of Trans 2.0
216:theatre troupe in
192:Assistant Director
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87:Living Smile Vidya
36:Living Smile Vidya
178:Leena Manimekalai
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18:Karuvarai Pookkal
16:(Redirected from
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137:Film and theatre
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582:. 21 April 2015
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162:Kandal Pookkal
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61:March 25, 1982
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752:(in German).
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956:1982 births
919:13 February
461:sanhati.com
170:Aghrinaigal
166:500 & 5
69:Nationality
935:Categories
303:References
267:I Am Vidya
218:Tamil Nadu
155:Molagapodi
101:Early life
57:1982-03-25
914:The Hindu
758:0774-6156
674:0971-751X
666:The Hindu
640:Scroll.in
407:0971-751X
399:The Hindu
338:17 August
333:0971-751X
325:The Hindu
279:Malayalam
174:Butterfly
123:Thanjavur
860:Jansatta
809:The Wire
749:Der Bund
619:15 April
529:15 April
235:Activism
866:9 March
840:9 March
814:9 March
789:9 March
763:9 March
727:9 March
679:9 March
645:9 March
586:9 March
555:9 March
499:9 March
466:9 March
438:9 March
412:9 March
371:9 March
291:Kannada
287:Kannada
283:Marathi
275:English
248:savarna
131:Madurai
95:Chennai
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365:Orinam
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285:, and
214:Panmai
151:Orinam
91:Smiley
72:Indian
703:Vimeo
293:film
271:Tamil
229:Scars
196:Tamil
107:Dalit
89:, or
921:2019
889:ISBN
868:2019
842:2019
816:2019
791:2019
765:2019
754:ISSN
729:2019
681:2019
670:ISSN
647:2019
621:2017
588:2019
557:2019
531:2017
501:2019
468:2019
440:2019
414:2019
403:ISSN
373:2019
340:2018
329:ISSN
239:The
198:and
172:and
164:and
51:Born
494:BGD
194:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
