Tenzin Mariko

Tenzin Mariko (born 1997) is a Tibetan model and LGBTQ icon. She is the first openly transgender Tibetan in the public eye.[1]

Tenzin Mariko
Born
Tenzin Ugen

Bir, Himachal Pradesh
Years active2015–present

Early life

Born as Tenzin Ugen to Tsering Gonpo and Chime Yangzom, 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] Born in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, she currently lives in the suburb of McLeod Ganj in Dharamshala.[3]

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.[4]

References
  1. Ram, Sharmila Ganesan (27 June 2016). "The Tibetan who shed a monk's robes for skirts". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  2. Gurung, Tsering D. "The Former Buddhist Monk Who Is Now A Tibetan Queer Icon". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  3. "The monk who traded his robes for skirts". India Today. Ist. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  4. "Tenzin Mariko quits 'Ace of Space'". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
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