¡°The only way to get acceptance and respect in the family and society as trans is to be financially independent,¡± says Bruna.??
¡°When I first started out as a tattoo artist, I would seek validation from my colleagues, family and clients but eventually, my work spoke for me and today, everyone in this area knows me very well. I am the only trans woman tattoo artist in this city, at least,¡± she says as she gets down from her car in the parking lot of Hauz Khas village in India¡¯s capital.
30-year-old Bruna lived the life of Akshay till the age of 25. ¡°I've been living two identities all this while. I couldn't ever gather the courage to come out because I knew that my father, who wouldn't let me pursue any career but engineering, would never accept me as a tattoo artist firstly and then a transwoman,¡± wearing a black, net dress and black heels, Bruna tells Indiatimes as we walk past busy lanes of Hauz Khas towards her tattoo studio.
¡°When he passed, we were all shattered, for sure. But deep down I felt lighter. Lighter to be able to live the life I'd always wanted to but couldn't dare to. I had hopes of acceptance from my mother and that's how it actually went,¡± she adds further.
The first to enter her tattoo studio at ten in the morning, Bruna keeps her laptop and handbag aside, and orders us two ice cappuccinos. ¡°Let me get us some coffee before we begin the work,¡± she says.
The studio has a couple of full-size mirrors, a ring-light, a huge glass window opening to the lane of Hauz-Khas village and most uniquely, an entire wall dedicated to Bruna, the star of the tattoo-studio and the queer community.?
Bruna originally hails from Punjab but has lived in Delhi all her life. She tells Indiatimes that it¡¯s just been five years since she came out as a woman, prior to which she would struggle to hide her feelings even from herself.?
"I was in complete denial [about the feelings]. I would kill my thoughts and feelings which emerged as a girl's. See, that¡¯s the impact of your society, your family who all you are surrounded by. I would wait for my mom to go out so I could use her clothes and make-up to be the best feminine version of myself but only when I would be alone. Even the thought of getting caught would bring me goosebumps,¡± Bruna shares as she takes out the iPad to work on some designs for a client she is expecting today.?
"[Earlier] I'd focus on being an alpha male, thinking that¡¯s how my father is and so should I be [like that to, and [I] was doing it well until I lost my father," she shares. That was the turning point in Bruna¡¯s life, she says.?
"Yes, we all were heartbroken but I also was happy for the fact that now I didn't have to fear anyone to come out to as a woman, my original self. My father was strict as the usual Indian fathers who'd even decide the careers for their children. So only after his demise could I also begin my journey to be a tattoo artist as well," Bruna tells Indiatimes.
Bruna says, "I know that my family, friends would've not accepted me the way they do if I weren't doing good for myself," she then shows me her first ever tattoo which she made on herself, back in 2008.
Since then, Bruna's tattoo artist journey has only improved. She has inked over 1500 people and hasn¡¯t looked back.?
¡°You know, I have come a really long way. Everybody looks at me and says I am so privileged but they never have the time to flip the previous pages. I remember being harassed, molested and eve-teased by men in this same area, till a few years back when we didn¡¯t have the support of Article 377. Even the police officials would torture me and ask for money to not report me and disclose my identity to my family and neighbours.¡±
Till 2018, Bruna used to dress like a man, and carry her wig, make-up and dress to the tattoo studio and change upon arrival. She would change back into men¡¯s clothes again before leaving for home. ¡°I really am thankful that in this world full of bullies, my guru, Chetan, who is the owner of this studio. He not only taught me inking, but also understood me, my identity and provided a safe space.¡±
Not too long ago, when Bruna was waiting for her cab, a car stopped by and a few men asked her what rates she would charge to ¡®please¡¯ them. ¡°That¡¯s when,¡± Bruna shares ahead, ¡°I had decided to work even harder to buy a luxury car and drive past these people who just presume that every trans-person is a sex worker. I understand the importance of financial independence for every individual but for us, the trans community, it is even more crucial. I want to train many young people of my community in the art of inking so that they can come out of the closet and live, breathe and be free,¡± Bruna concludes. She doesn¡¯t use her family last name, rather prefers to use ¡®Free Spirit¡¯ as hers.?
For more stories on the LGBTQIA+ community and queerness in India, keep reading?Spectrum?on?Indiatimes.??