How the COVID-19 Pandemic has Affected Transgender Community People: Findings From a Telephonic Survey in Odisha

Abstract

Alike any other marginalized groups of people, the unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 virus has also catastrophically damaged the lifestyle of the transgender persons in Odisha. In order to understand the life struggle of transgender people during the world pandemic, this study is an attempt to examine their life experience throughout the pandemic and their strategic plans to deal with such tragic crisis. To materialize the above cited objectives, we have conducted 30 telephonic interviews from two cities (Cuttack and Bhubaneswar) of Odisha. We asked some open-ended questions regarding their struggle to survive, family support, availability of government assistances and accessibility of basic services and their mental conditions during the pandemic time. Our finding from the survey depicts that there was much fear and insecurity among the transgender people during the pandemic time. Because of the loss of basic earnings, shortage of foods and unavailability of other basic essentials, with the sense of group solidarity, they managed to survive with meagre substances. However, lack of family support during the pandemic, exclusion from government benefits, restrictions in social mobility and the fear of COVID-19 virus infection led to increase their mental distress and made their life more miserable.