SWAPNIL SHINDE IS NOW SAISHA SHINDE

DPesigner Swapnil Shinde, who recently declared on her Instagram account, “I am not a gay man. I am a Transwoman”, hashtagging her new identity, Saisha Shinde, always knew she was a woman inside. Asked about the decision to transition, Shinde shares, “It wasn’t a decision, per se it was something I needed to accept. I was clearly born with it. I was a woman inside all my life. But yes, the decision, that I want to start the change, has been an ongoing process for five to six years or probably more. It’s during the lockdown that I eventually ended up deciding positively that this is who I am and I need to start this process right away.” Gender dysphoria is said to be deeply painful and it’s believed that transitioning may not make things better and doesn’t heal underlying issues. “The process for transitioning is crucial. It’s divided in two parts, one is of course your therapy sessions with a psychiatrist and other is with your endocrinologist and MD where they check your blood, your health history. Only when your emotional and mental issues are resolved does the psychiatrist give you the green signal. You need letters from the therapist stating that this person is going through gender identity dysphoria and is viable to go through transition. I got my letters from my psychiatrist long ago, but it’s just that my personal decision was taking a long time,” she says. Does the fact that transwomen are often objectified and are targets of discrimination worry Shinde? “I’m a very private person. The most difficult decision was, ‘Should I live my life privately or make it a public thing’? The reason I went public with my transition was I wanted to be a role model to so many boys and girls out there,” she says. In therapy sessions, the most important aspect covered was Shinde’s parents. “We take our parents for granted. My parents, who are conservative Maharashtrians, were very supportive. My father wanted to know the name of all the surgeons I was consulting etc. They said, ‘We are with you as you’ve lived your life responsibly always’. And friends of course have always been there for me,” she adds.

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