Apwint (Burmese:အပွင့်) is a culturally specific term toMyanmar which is used to refer to individualsassigned male at birth who openly identify as women and are attracted to men. External to the local context,apwint are commonly regarded more broadly astransgender women. However, according to Veronese et al., "unlike typicalWestern characterizations [such as in theLGBT community] that utilize separate categories to definesexual andgender identities, one set of labels are often used acrossAsia to characterize both sexual and gender identities."[1] Another Myanama term,apone (Burmese:အပုန်း), is used to describe males "who are sexually oriented towards other men yet conceal their sexual preferences in mostsocial spheres or circumstances and are often locally referred to as ‘hidden, or ‘hider’ for their presentation as ‘men’ in public and certain social environments." Bothapwint andapone are believed to share the same ‘feminine’inner self, but differ in their outwardgender expression.[1][2]
Section 377 of the British colonial penal code, which criminalized allsexual acts "against the order of nature," was sanctioned duringBritish rule in Burma and was used to persecuteapwint. Following the end of British rule in 1948, Myanmar retained the law as a legacy ofcolonialism. TheMyanmar Police Force continue to use Section 377 to persecuteapwint, who are "considered male in the eyes of the law," even if they are not engaging in any sexual activity, despite this being stipulated as a provision of Section 377.Apwint are stereotyped as "deviant and criminal" and threatened by police with arrest simply for existing in Myanmar society. Police have been recorded as using threats to forceapwint "to solicit a bribe or sexual favor" in exchange for not being arrested. As a result of their status in society, the career and economic prospects ofapwint are severely limited.[3]