Albrecht J (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
DOI: 10.1080/09589236.2025.2542845
This article explores the relationship between Kali worship and transgender (primarily trans feminine) identities in Sri Lanka, a Buddhist-majority country where Kali is often viewed as a demon rather than a goddess. I argue that this unique form of worship is rooted in three genealogical pillars: the historical worship of the goddess Pattini by gender-nonconforming men and trans feminine people in Buddhist Sri Lanka, the association of Kali with third-gender people in South India, and the global feminist appropriation of Kali as a symbol of duality and transgression. Through these pillars, the embodied worship of Kali becomes an act of agency and reclamation of the trans body, challenging hegemonic cultural and religious norms. This transreligiosity not only redefines gender and identity but also opens new pathways in religious and trans studies, particularly in disrupting conventional boundaries of gender and religious spaces within the South Asian context.
APA:
Albrecht, J. (2025). Transgender Kali–a Sri Lankan transreligious goddess. Journal of Gender Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2025.2542845
MLA:
Albrecht, Jessica. "Transgender Kali–a Sri Lankan transreligious goddess." Journal of Gender Studies (2025).
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