Philippines gets first elected transgender politician. Here are a couple who got elected in India

The newly-elected transgender woman -- Geraldine Roman -- in the majority Catholic state of Philippines, is braving the unknown waters of politics.

“People now look beyond the gender and they focus on what you have to offer, what’s in your heart,” Roman told CCN shortly after being elected.

She underwent the gender reassignment surgery in the 1990s, long before the official law had been passed in the Philippines in 2001. 

She has been living openly as a woman for over two decades now.

India already has a few transgender politicians. Here are two transgenders who were elected in India. 

Shabnam Mausi

Shortly after eunuchs were given voting rights in India in 1994, Shabnam Mausi was elected as a member of the Madhya Pradesh State Assembly from 1998 to 2003.

With a view to use her position in the Legislative Assembly to speak against the discrimination of hijras and to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS, she was the first transgender Indian to be elected to the public office.

Shabnam Mausi was elected from the Sohagpur constituency in Madhya Pradesh state's Shahdol district.

In this clip from ABP News, Shabnam Mausi has expressed her joy at the Supreme Court's decision to recognise the third gender, giving the option of picking "third gender" in forms. Earlier, in the absence of any provisions, transgenders or eunuchs were forced to pick 'male' or 'female'. India was the first country in the world to give legitimacy to the third gender. 

Madhu Bai Kinnar

Earning her livelihood by singing and dancing in trains, Madhu Bai Kinnar was the first ever transgender mayor to be elected in the district of Raigarh.

After living in expulsion for over ten years, she was a street-play artist and also a folk dancer.