Transgender Sex Work in Sri Lanka

"Transgender sex workers" is a scarcely explored area in academic discourses, garnering widespread interest amongst gender and sexuality scholars around the world. This book explores the narratives and experiences of Nachchi sex workers in contemporary Sri Lanka; a local term for a community assigned male at birth but who choose to live as women with a preference for male partners. It explores their lived experiences and stories through unique interviews, critically examining the historical and post-colonial (and post-war) discourses originating from the Sri Lankan state and civil society. It challenges the hegemonic, neo-liberal narratives that tend to homogenise and simplify their subjectivities. It also dissects the realm of 'politics,' particularly subaltern politics and how this colonial population is excluded from the hierarchy of power. This book takes a decolonial approach to the historical knowledge production on Nachchi sex worker subjectivities by unearthing important, yet suppressed verbal histories and narrations of living community members. The author also reflects on her journey, transitioning from a researcher and academic to a full-time politician, a transformation that shapes her evolving perspectives on politics throughout the writing of the book.

Kaushalya Ariyarathne completed her LL.B at the University of Colombo and her Master's in Human Rights and Justice at Keele University, UK. She obtained her PhD from the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Colombo. Kaushalya is an academic and researcher who was elected as a political representative in 2024. She is currently serving as a Member of Parliament in Sri Lanka.