At the general hospital in Yelahanka in Bengaluru, a small group is waiting in front of the counsellor’s room. From inside, the voices of two individuals can be heard — one posing questions and the other answering them.

Have you done the surgery?

Yes.

Has your family accepted you?

Yes.

Do you think begging and sex work should be recognised as professions?

Yes.

Is you monthly income lesser or greater than ₹1 lakh, ₹3 lakh or ₹ lakh?

Less than ₹1 lakh.

Around 120 questions and 45 minutes later, Sangeeta (name changed), draped in a crisp white Voile saree sporting tiny yellow flowers, emerged from the room in an elegant gait. A mangalamukhi, she just enrolled herself in the Karnataka government’s survey for gender minorities, claimed to be the first of its kind in India.

“It’s been

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