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WORLD ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNION

CONGRESS 2024​

Paper

Engendering Death: Ethnographic Insights into the Posthumous Mistreatment and Misgendering of Trans-Queer Bodies.

presenters

    Saptarshi Bairagi

    Nationality: India

    Residence: India

    University of Delhi

    Presence:Face to Face/ On Site

    Rezwana Karim Snigdha

    Nationality: Bangladesh

    Residence: Bangladesh

    Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka. Bngladesh

    Presence:Online

Keywords:

Necropolitics, Transgender, Misgendering, posthumous mistreatment, Intersectionality.

Abstract:

This anthropological study, grounded in theories of intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) and necropolitics (Mbembe, 2003), examines the posthumous mistreatment and misgendering of transgender individuals. By focusing on the deaths of several trans people, the research reveals how police, media, and biological families often deny the deceased's gender identity, reflecting the pervasive inhumanity and systemic discrimination faced by trans individuals even in death (Butler, 2004). Drawing on specific cases, the study illustrates the vulnerability and lack of dignity afforded to transgender bodies post-mortem, underscoring the necropolitical forces that govern life and death (Mbembe, 2003). The mistreatment of trans bodies is a stark manifestation of societal prejudices, where authorities and institutions refuse to acknowledge the deceased's gender identity (Namaste, 2000). The media's use of incorrect pronouns and names compounds this disrespect, erasing the true identities of these individuals (Stryker, 2006). Biological families, influenced by societal norms and stigma, may also deny the deceased's gender, opting for burial or cremation according to the assigned gender at birth rather than their lived identity (Halberstam, 2005). This misgendering and mistreatment highlight the dehumanizing attitudes that persist within society towards transgender individuals. Through ethnographic case studies and qualitative analysis, this research underscores the urgent need for societal and legal reforms to protect the rights and dignity of transgender people, both in life and death. By shedding light on these injustices, the study aims to contribute to a broader understanding of the systemic discrimination faced by the transgender community and to advocate for more inclusive and respectful practices regarding the treatment of trans-queer bodies.