Tenzin Mariko
Tenzin Mariko | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tenzin Ugen |
| Years active | 2015–present |
Tenzin Mariko (born 1997) is a Tibetan model and LGBTQ icon. She is the first openly transgender Tibetan in the public eye.[1]
Early life
Born as Tenzin Ugen to Tsering Gonpo and Chime Yangzom in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, she was sent to the Samdrup Darjay Choling Monastery in Darjeeling to become a Buddhist monk. At the age of 13, Mariko was sent to Tergar Institute in Kathmandu to further her monastic studies. She left the institute and returned to Dharamshala at the age of 16.[2] Tenzin also went to school in Delhi to become a professional makeup artist. When she came out, people encouraged Tenzin to become a dancer or entertainer.[3] She currently lives in the suburb of McLeod Ganj in Dharamshala.[4]
Family
In the early 1950s, Mariko's parents fled Tibet during the annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China and moved to Dharamsala. Her parents had five children; they were all boys and were expected to be monks.[5]
Career
Mariko's first appearance as a transgender model was at the 2015 Miss Tibet pageant held in Dharamshala. In 2018, she participated in MTV India's Ace of Space 1.[6] Tenzin Mariko gave a TedTalk on TEDxDharmshala on August 29, 2019. Titled “The Monk Who Traded His Robes for Skirts”, Mariko narrates her story of accepting her sexuality and coming out as the first Tibetan transgender woman.[7]
References
- ^ Ram, Sharmila Ganesan (27 June 2016). "The Tibetan who shed a monk's robes for skirts". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ Gurung, Tsering D. (24 July 2017). "The Former Buddhist Monk Who Is Now A Tibetan Queer Icon". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- ^ ""Be true to yourself!" An interview with Tenzin Mariko". Free Tibet. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ "The monk who traded his robes for skirts". India Today. Ist. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- ^ "Tibetan transgender LGBT icon Tenzin Mariko on ..." Trans Express. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ "Tenzin Mariko quits 'Ace of Space'". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ The Monk who Traded His Robes for Skirts | Tenzin Mariko | TEDxDharamshala, 29 August 2019, retrieved 24 October 2022