In the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
, a kothi is a term for a man or boy who takes on an "
effeminate
Effeminacy or male femininity is the embodiment of feminine traits in boys or men, particularly those considered untypical of men or masculinity. These traits include roles, stereotypes, behaviors, and appearances that are socially associated wi ...
" role in
same-sex relationships
A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries w ...
, often with a desire to be the receptive partner in sexual intercourse.
The origins of the term are unclear. The original meaning was intended as a slur, similar to "fag" or "sissy."
Local equivalents include ''durani'' (
Kolkata
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...
), ''menaka'' (
Cochin
Kochi ( , ), formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. The city is also commonly referred to as Ernaku ...
), ''
meti
Meti is a town in south-western Ethiopia, located in Godere woreda of the Gambela Region
The Gambela Region, also spelled Gambella, and officially the Gambela Peoples' Region (), is a regional state in western Ethiopia. Previously known as ...
'' (
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
), and ''zenana'' (
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
). The male partners who perform the penetrative acts are known as panthi.
Kothis differ from
hijras as they do not live in the kind of
intentional communities
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community designed to foster a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork. Such communities typically promote shared values or beliefs, or pursue a common vision, which may be politica ...
that hijras usually live in. They are similar to the hijra in that they may take a same-sex lover for a period of time, and they may perform sexual favors for men through prostitution.
Other sources state that the term kothi is an all-encompassing term for males in India who do not conform to their social gender, where the term kothi would include the identity of hijra, among others.
See also
*
Tamil sexual minorities
Tamil sexual minorities are Tamil people who do not conform to heterosexual gender norms. They may identify as LGBTQIA. It has been estimated that India has a population of 2.5 million homosexuals, though not all of them are Tamil, and not all Tam ...
References
{{Asia topic, LGBT culture in
Hijra (South Asia)
Transgender topics in India
Culture of India