Meet Tenzin Mariko, Monk-Turned-Transgender Model From Tibet Breaking Stereotypes Like A Boss
For someone living in a conservative environment discovering for the first time that they're queer and then telling friends and family about it, the journey has seldom been an easy one. Society squirms, insults and makes derogatory remarks and they have no choice but to battle it out to find their identity.
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Tenzing Mariko's story of coming out is one that will go down in history and will keep inspiring a million people.
Mariko, was born a male and named Tenzing Ugen. She was one among six brothers, and her family arrived in India in the 1990s to settle down in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, reported the Times of India.
Tenzin was sent to a monastery at the age of nine but even that could not change who she was inside: a girl. At an early age, when Tenzin was attracted to all things a girl would probably like, she was told by her family and friends that males are expected to behave differently.
"So, it is not like I woke up one fine morning and decided to become a trans person. There were many challenges, both financial and social," Tenzin was quoted as saying.
Back in the year 2014 when she decided to change things for the better. A video of her dancing in female clothes went viral and that's when things went downhill for Tenzing.
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The video earned her insulting names and derogatory remarks. But five years down the line, she's Tibet's first ever queer icon.
In 2015, she underwent surgery and also made her first public appearance as a dancer at the Miss Tibet pageant in Dharamshala.
"Our Tibetan community is small but they treat me as a celebrity now. It feels good to be known as the first Tibetan transgender. Not because it has turned me into a celebrity, but because I have, in a small way, made it easier for other people to come forward," said Tenzin.
From a video that once made her an easy target online to the 20k followers she has today, her journey to becoming a social media icon was not without its challenges. And we thank Tenzing Mariko for becoming the inspiration she is.
