People have various assumptions about the third gender in our society. A society which claims to be modern in every sense, lacks far behind when it comes to acceptance. When would be the right time to stop living in myths? “Acceptance” would do wonders to our society, be it to approve your daughter’s love interest or your friend’s sexuality. At this year’s Jaipur Literature Fest, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, the first transgender who represented Asia Pacific at the UN and also as a transgender rights activist, asked for “acceptance” from our society. She has been fighting for their rights for many years and we got a chance to attend her session I, Eunuch: Me Hijra, Me Laxmi, where she talked about life of a transgender, the hardships they face since birth and the exploitation they go through on an everyday basis.

Here are 14 quotes by her which highlight the plight of eunuchs in our society: