From sex workers to beauticians


Diana is beautiful. So beautiful that winning a beauty pageant should be easy. She was recently offered a role in a promotional
film by TAI (Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative), an NGO working on the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Diana, 22, plays a contestant at a Miss Chennai pageant. She leads the race until the last round, where she has to answer some questions. Her answers, however, shock judges as well as the audience. They don't know how to react, because Diana speaks in a male voice.

Diana is beautiful. She is also a transgender, or aravani pen. And she is a sex worker.