Understanding the sociopsychological challenges faced by in-migrant transgenders in Kolkata metropolitan during COVID-19 lockdowns

Dear Editor, The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and brought unprecedented changes to the lives of people across the globe. The pandemic has enforced severe measures such as lockdowns, restricting movement, social distancing, and other precautionary measures. Apart from physical health, the pandemic has affected the psychological and social aspects of individuals, especially those of marginalized communities, including transgender people. The transgender community, also known as Hijras, had been adversely impacted by the lockdown in India as they have a complex social status, marked by discrimination, prejudice, and exploitation.[1-3] Due to the social stigmatization, a significant population of transgenders migrate to metropolitan cities like Kolkata in search of livelihood opportunities.[3] The lockdown implemented in India in March 2020 has disrupted the work of many of these transgenders, leaving them vulnerable and susceptible to the consequences of the pandemic.[4] In Kolkata, the capital city of the Indian state of West Bengal, migrant and native transgenders grapple with discrimination, lack of access to essentials, and inadequate support. The COVID-19 lockdown worsened their plight, leaving them stranded without food, income, healthcare, and shelter.[4,5] They were labeled as virus carriers, persecuted, and susceptible to contacting the virus due to their migrated and marginalized status,[5,6] leading to increased mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and stress. In a recent study,[7] using a community-based mixed methodology, data were gathered through two phases of semistructured and in-depth interviews, phone interviews, and focus groups with transgender people living in the Kolkata metropolitan area, India. With their consent, 252 transgender people were enlisted between July 2020 and December 2022, including both natives and those who migrated to Kolkata, who were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. As per the outcomes of the study using content analysis, the COVID-19 lockdown also had an impact on the daily routines, economic situation, and social relationships of transgender immigrants in Kolkata. Due to the sudden announcement of the lockdown, many of them were unable to return to their native places. The handful that returned to their village had to disguise their identities by dressing as men. This created an atmosphere of stress and anxiety among the transgenders as uncertainty loomed over their lives. The lockdown also had an impact on the livelihoods of transgender people who worked in a variety of occupations, including sex work, dancing in wedding and childbirth ceremonies, and begging in marketplaces, buses, and trains. Due to travel restrictions and the fear of the virus, people refrained from contacting transgenders, which resulted in a significant decrease in income. This, in turn, affected their socioeconomic status. The enforced lockdown also restricted their social interactions, leading to feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety.[6-8] With restrictions on movement and social gatherings, they had been deprived of their usual support networks and religious rituals and were at a higher risk of experiencing social isolation and loneliness, leading to a sense of alienation. Most of the migrant transgenders of Kolkata, who live in cramped, enclosed places, find the messaging and information about keeping protection (i.e., wearing a mask, use of hand sanitizers, and handwashing) and social separation by maintaining to prevent transmission to be particularly perplexing. Additionally, going to the doctors or hospitals for a fever or cold was not an option because they feared being told they have corona. They scared that doctors would treat them unfairly and exclude them. Gender inequality, stereotyping, exclusion, and discrimination all played a role in stigmatizing them within healthcare and society, particularly in times of the pandemic. As their only line of defense against the illness, the majority of transgenders had turned to prayer and asking God's forgiveness. Both mental and physical sufferings were brought on by the pandemic's worry caused by the uncertainty, the mandatory lockdown, and, most importantly, the dread of death if they were infected by the coronavirus. In actuality, most transgender in-migrants lived their everyday lives in uncertainty due to psychological, emotional, mental, social, and economic effects, and there was a pervasive sense of imminent doom. It was clearly understood that since the majority previously relied on sex work and other awry professions as their source of daily income, they currently had no source of income. They survived on their meager savings, secured informal credit, borrowed money, and sold jewelry, but as the lockdown continued, they were experiencing the risk of going hungry and homeless. Due to their limited savings and earning-off, meeting their daily necessities was a daunting task for them. They also asserted that because they were transgender people, a third gender, they were not eligible for the customary humanitarian assistance offered by the local government.[8] Being transgender, they perceived increased social and psychological vulnerability, isolation, and stigma. Therefore, the sociopsychological repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic were disproportionately felt by transgender in-migrants in Kolkata who were already struggling with social and economic exclusion. The pandemic made their lives vulnerable, leading to a sense of uncertainty and insecurity. The lack of government support and the stigma attached to transgenders have further aggravated their situation. It is essential to create awareness and understand their issues to address their concerns adequately. Providing basic human rights, education, and economic opportunities can lead to a better life for the transgenders and help them become an integral part of our society. Ethical approval The research was done as part of the author's PhD in Population Studies project at Fakir Mohan University in Odisha, India. All procedures performed in the study involving transgender or Hijra participants were in accordance with the ethical approval of the institutional research committee of Fakir Mohan University and with the 1964 Hel-sinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. All transgender participants gave their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.