Meet Archie Singh, a 22-year-old trans model who is all set to represent India in Miss International Trans in 2021 happening in Colombia.
But this was no easy feat as Archie had to fight many stereotypes just to make space for herself in this world. She was even told that she is not a real woman by an agent. To that, she replied:
I am a woman, and I’m trans but I’m equally a woman. My official government ID recognizes me as a woman, and I have had gender-reassignment surgery.
She mentioned that even after standing up for herself, the agent didn’t take her on because they wanted a woman who wasn’t trans.
Archie grew up in a middle-class family and always knew about her true identity. Not wanting to hide, she came out publicly at the age of 17.
Before becoming a model, Archie used to work as a social worker. She wanted to bust the stigma around trans people and create awareness about their realities.
She became a model as it gave her the platform to do so and soon it became her passion.
While she was pursuing a career in modeling, she was also going through gender-reassignment surgery.
She took part and won the Miss Trans India, became show stoppers for many shows, and was even a brand ambassador for a brand.
While in conversation with News18, Archie shared that:
I never got rejected because of my skill or my looks. It was because I was trans.
Archie now hopes to create more awareness about trans people and fight the stigma set against them using the international platform.
This is a moment of celebration for not just her but the whole of the trans community because such steps will help them fight against the discrimination they face on a daily basis.