(1/2) “From a young age, I realized that I was a girl born in a boy’s body. I would wrap my head with a cloth piece and pretend to have long hair. Somehow, my parents were always accepting of my identity. I’d dance and entertain everyone, so people around also got used to me quickly. My father taught me to cook at an early age–he said in life, we need to be independent. Hardly anyone called me names, but at school, some kids did alter my name to call me ‘Wangmo’; I took that as a compliment since I was comfortable being feminine.
I studied till 9th grade before my parents asked me to become a police officer. I didn’t agree at first, but ultimately I respected their wishes and obliged. I enrolled in a police training academy and underwent training for 12 months. I wasn’t scared or anxious but whenever we had to shave our heads, I hesitated a lot. In the course of the training, I shaved my head 9 times.
Our batch in 2004 had 94 trainees–in the final assessment, I stood in the fifth position. We were assessed and graded on weaponry, physicals, drill, and written exams on the law.
I wasn’t discriminated against, and no one insulted or called me names. However, at night in the dorms, some guys would try to climb into my bed and get physical. I’d be bold and warn them that I’d complain to the instructor. They would back off then.
During the graduation, when we walked to the stage for the award ceremony, I remember getting chills. We took our oaths and we were sent to different places for our duties.
I was in Punakha, Thimphu and Gasa. All those times, I served as a servant for officers at their houses. I liked to think that it was due to my domestic skills but after a while, I felt stuck. Over the years, I was getting training in CCTV, accounts, and other security measures, but my responsibilities were always in the kitchens of the officers. I thought my hands and feet were suffering due to the nature of the work, but I never took that as oppression or discrimination. I remained positive and continued working. Sometimes, I would be sent for three months of assignment as the servant in the officer’s quarters, and it would stretch to three years.”
The story is funded by the Journalists’ Association of Bhutan for Rural Reporting Grant supported by the Canada Fund for Local Initiative.