Othering and Access to Housing: A Unique Navigation of Placemaking Practiced by Thirunangais in Urban Spaces of Chennai

Abstract

This article explores the lived experiences of historically marginalized trans-women known as thirunangais in South India in accessing housing through the postcolonial theory of othering. These spaces often become sites where the identities of gender, caste, and class converge, making it precarious and transient. After sustained protests, thirunangais in Chennai were allocated housing in two resettlement sites. Despite state-provided housing, they faced violence, threats, and economic insecurity. Some left, while others remained, using adaptive strategies to assert ownership over housing through solidarity networks, collective resistance, negotiating tensions by being ‘out of place’ and inhabiting ‘in-between’ spaces. The article argues that housing interventions for thirunangais must address not only physical shelter but also the broader social, political, and economic factors that contribute to their marginalization.