Singaporean Muslim Transsexuals: Negotiating the Transsexual and Muslim Identity within Islam and the Singapore Muslim Community

This research seeks to examine how Singapore Muslim transsexuals (SMts) negotiate their identity in relation to Islam, the Singapore Muslim community (SMC) and their social relations. While Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) is legally accommodated by the Singapore state for SMts, it remains a contentious religious issue, as Islam prohibits the altering of one’s biological sex. This study posits that SMts adopt various strategies in their day-to-day relations, to negotiate their inherently conflictual Muslim and transsexual identities. Through findings from in-depth interviews with SMts, a typology was developed to analyse the types of strategies employed in response to the types of relations they engage in. Ultimately, the purpose of this research is to spark an otherwise lack of discussion on SMts within academia and the SMC.Bachelor of Art