Adam Harry has not received a medical clearance certificate from the DGCA, India’s aviation sector watchdog. It has ruled that the transman is ‘temporary unfit’. But why?
The DGCA denied Adam Harry the medical certificate, declaring him ‘temporarily unfit’ for flying as he was undergoing hormone therapy. Image courtesy: Adam Harry/Facebook
Adam Harry is India’s first transgender pilot. However, his wings have already been clipped. The 23-year-old from Kerala, who has completed his training and was hoping to fly commercial flights, can no longer do so.
His dreams have crashed, as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation sector watchdog, has failed to give him a medical clearance certificate.
Why has Harry not got a clearance?
After an extensive medical examination, the DGCA rules that Harry is “temporary unfit” to receive a licence to fly because of gender dysphoria – a mismatch between biological sex and their gender identity, according to a report in The Hindu.
According to Britain’s National Health Service, the publicly funded healthcare system, gender dysphoria is a sense of unease that a person may experience because of a mismatch in genders. The dissatisfaction may be so intense it can lead to depression and anxiety and harm daily life.
In his application form, Harry had no choice but to identify as female because the DGCA’s medical examination form does not have an option for transgenders.
The youth was assigned female at birth but grew up to identify as a man. He received sex hormone therapy that helps people with gender dysphoria to transition from their biological gender to their desired gender.
The DCGA has told him that he will not receive clearance until he is on medication, The Hindu reports. Officials have now advised Harry to finish his hormone therapy and then apply again for the medical test. However, transpersons need medical support for their entire life.
According to Harry, he was asked intrusive personal questions bordering transphobia. He was questioned about his physicality and how he would marry someone.
What next for Harry?
However, Harry cannot stop his treatment. “I can’t sacrifice my identity for my profession. I want to be able to fly as who I am,” he told the newspaper.
With no other employment opportunities, Harry is working as a food delivery agent for Zomato.
He has reportedly planned to move the Bombay High Court against the DGCA’s decision to deny him permission to fly until he is receiving therapy.
How did Harry learn to fly?
In 2019, the Kerala government sanctioned Rs 23.7 lakh to help Harry pursue a three-year course at the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology in Thiruvananthapuram and secure a commercial pilot’s licence.
He secured a private licence in 2017 after undergoing training in South Africa’s Johannesburg, becoming India’s first transgender pilot. However, after his family learnt about his identity, they disowned him.
Harry needed a commercial licence to become an airline pilot and he turned to the Kerala government for help.
“I am really grateful to the government for the helping hand. Otherwise, my dream will never have become a reality… I am planning to join the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology RPT Technology for the three-year studies and training to get a commercial pilot licence,” Harry had told PTI in 2019.
What about his family?
Harry belongs to an orthodox Muslim family from the Thrissur district. He completed his schooling and then joined an aviation academy attached to Lanseria International Airport in Johannesburg.
Though his family had initially supported him, they stopped all the assistance after he continued to vocal about his gender. It was difficult to complete the training in South Africa without financial support but Harry did not give up on his dream.
He had to sleep on the streets and do odd jobs to fund his course and living expenses. “But, I completed my training and received the private pilot licence in 2017. I returned to India but my parents continued to pressure me to suppress my gender,” he told PTI.
He ran away from home and despite having a private licence found it difficult to make ends meet. “After moving out of home, I stayed in several places with the support of transgender friends. I got a job at a private aviation academy in Kochi but they did not pay me. Later, I even worked in a juice parlour to make both ends meet,” he said.
Back then, he was hopeful to get a job in an airline company once he secured his commercial licence. But with the DGCA refusing that, Harry’s dreams won’t be able to take flight.
With inputs from agencies
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