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Evie, also known as Turdi, the former nanny of President Barack Obama, stands at the doorway of her room at a boarding house in a slum in Jakarta, Indonesia. Evie, who was born a man but believes she is really a woman, has endured a lifetime of taunts and beatings because of her identity. Nobody knows how many transgender people live in the sprawling archipelagic nation of 240 million, but activists estimate 7 million. Societal disdain runs deep - when transgender people act in TV comedies, they are invariably the brunt of the joke.
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A younger Evie/Turdi, left, dressed as a woman with an unidentified friend in a pageant.
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A transgender woman who identifies herself as Adis applies makeup to her face before going door-to-door to dance for small change, at her boarding house in a Jakarta slum.
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A transgender woman who identifies herself as Melda stands outside the room while Adis applies her makeup.
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A transgender woman who identifies herself as Meilan, center, stands with her friends in Jakarta.
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An Indonesian man waves a 2,000 rp. (20 cents) bill as a transgender woman who identifies herself as Yanti, center, dances as they go door-to-door to perform for small change at a roadside food stall.
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Meilan, Yanti, and Adis perform at a roadside shop.
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Melda walks through an alley at a slum in Jakarta.
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Adis walks through an alley at a slum in Jakarta.
