Manipur's first transgender doctor from Nupi Maanbi community turns corona warrior

Manipur's first transgender doctor Beyonce Laishram has been a warrior all her life. She is not only an example for the transgender community but also a symbol of hope, especially for the marginalised Nupi Maanbi community. Beyonce Laishram got her MBBS degree from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and currently works in a private hospital in Imphal. However, what makes her proud is the tag of corona warrior.

Manipur's first transgender corona warrior

Beyonce Laishram is North East's first transgender doctor who has currently turned into a corona warrior as she treats COVID-19 patients. She is a former student of RIMS and says that she never faced any sort of discrimination in school or in college. Manipur's first transgender doctor says that she always wanted to become a doctor and help people heal, even before she got her degree from RIMS. 

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"I look like a woman now, so no one realises I am a trans-person until they hear my voice. Some people are startled, but that's it. I have been working here since November 2019 here. There was no discrimination or hate directed towards me here. All my colleagues treated me as a friend," said Manipur's first transgender doctor. 

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Beyonce Laishram is currently living her dream of being a doctor. She is treating the COVID-19 positive patients in a private hospital in Imphal, Manipur. Manipur's first transgender doctor is more than just a transwoman from Nupi Maanbi community, she is also a corona warrior. Talking about her choice of career Beyonce said that the people from transgender communities also have the rights to pursue any profession that they want. They need not be limited to working in beauty parlours and as a makeup artist, because they can become doctors and engineers she added. She believes that people and society will be more accepting of TG people if they choose to make their careers in different fields. 

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Beyonce Laishram works in the Shija Hospitals and Research Institute in Imphal. The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Surgeon Sorokhaibam Jugindra said spoke about hiring Beyonce and the reaction of the staff. He said, "Human beings are all equal. We didn't look at Beyonce's gender while hiring her. There was some curiosity among the staff initially, but that was all."

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Talking about her struggles, the Manipur doctor and corona warrior said that it took her a long time to come out and identify herself with the Nupi Maanbi which is a community of transwomen. Beyonce Laishram had a sex reassignment surgery in Puducherry and now identifies as a post-operative transwoman. This 27-year-old doctor from Manipur has been working hard to uplift the Nupi Maanbi community which remains marginalised. She aims to help the transwomen from the Nupi Maanbi community gain access to proper healthcare irrespective of their gender or gender identity. 

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"I knew that I was not a boy when I was in Class 8 at. However, I did not reveal my identity until I was in the third year of my MBBS. It was a continuous struggle to establish my identity and make people accept it. Around 2016, I realised I could no longer live that life. It was then that I started identifying myself as a Nupi Maanbi. The Nupi Mannbis of Manipur helped me a lot. I am preparing for my post-graduation in cosmetic surgery. I want to help the Nupi Mannbis back," said Beyonce Laishram.

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 (With inputs from ANI)