Mariana Zilbershteyn, Staff Profile: Mr Bhagirati Bhan (PEOPLE 2022)

My name is Bhagirati and I live in a rural community outside of Suva, Fiji and work at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva as a tutor in the Discipline of Linguistics and Languages. I found myself different from all the kids at school and I embraced my femininity from an early age. I preferred to go to detention than to actually play with the boys or even use their change-room or restrooms in school. I never felt safe there. During school as a transgender individual I had to prove to others that I am equal. I achieved this through hard work and scoring the highest marks in my class and gradually being the dux student of 2005. Graduating in 2011 from USP, I started work at Fiji National University before joining USP as an academic in 2014. I have always dressed as an androgynous at work, and at both universities I would have suffocated if I had to wear formal men’s attire to work. Despite some support from USP, due to the multi-cultural environment with students from many Pacific Island countries, and concerns for my safety, it would not be acceptable for me to attend work as a complete transgender.

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