#BookReview ; Red Lipstick by Laxmi

The world keeps taunting him as girlish but the fact is that, biologically, he is a boy. And, he is always attracted to guys. Is Laxmi both a man and a woman? Or, perhaps, neither a man nor a woman? The first inklings and stirrings of lust that Laxmi remembers came from noticing big, strong arms, the hint of a guy's moustache over his lips, billboards that advertised men's underwear. Laxmi found this puzzling initially. Was there a woman inside him who couldn't really express herself because of some last-minute mix-up that god did at the time of his birth? Struggling with such existential questions, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, eminent transgender activist, awakens to her true self: She is Laxmi, a hijra. In this fascinating narrative Laxmi unravels her heart to tell the stories of the men-creators, preservers, lovers, benefactors, and abusers-in her life. Racy, unapologetic, dark and exceptionally honest, these stories open a window to a brave new world.

Red Lipstick is the story of Transgender rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi & has been published by Penguin Books. Apart from being a vocal activist & a LGBT icon, she is also a Hindi film star & Bharatnatyam dancer & teacher. Founder of the NGO Astitva which works towards the support & development of sexual minorities. She played a pivotal role in the recognition of hijras as the third gender in India.

This book is basically based around the life of Laxmi Narayan Tripathi & her journey from an effeminate boy who was scolded & ridiculed to a confident transgender rights activist who never minces her words. It talks about all the people who have influenced her life in some way or the other, also some of them have their dedicated monologues for Laxmi as well. She has also pointed out the difficulties that the LGBT community especially transgenders face in India & how their fight to come into the mainstream goes on. Do buy this book here,

I won’t lie, I have admired the author for a long time & luckily I got to listen to her speech & even meet her. She spoke confidently & covered every single problem that the transgender community faces in their daily lives. This book apart from being the complete journey of the author also explains why its necessary for such books to exist. Until and unless there’s visibility, coming into the mainstream would be a hard job. The language is extremely easy while the title is intriguing. The cover is my favorite part. I hope more people from the community write such books & tell their stories. It definitely isn’t a must read but surely is an important read.