Author(s): Karishma Bharti

Abstract: This paper studies the journey from marginalisation to empowerment in Laxmi Narayan Tripathi’s Red Lipstick: The Men in My Life. It focuses on red lipstick as a visible sign of gender identity, self-expression, social judgement, and resistance. The paper uses Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity to explain how gender is produced through repeated social acts and expectations. Tripathi’s autobiography shows how a transgender person is often asked to behave according to the gender assigned at birth and how breaking these expectations can lead to shame, exclusion, violence, and silence. At the same time, the autobiography shows how self-expression can become a source of confidence and resistance. The paper discusses childhood, family, language, the hijra community, relationships with men, religion, work, activism, and legal rights. It also engages with existing critical studies on Tripathi’s autobiography. The study argues that red lipstick changes its meaning during Tripathi’s life. It can first be associated with judgement and fear, but later becomes a sign of self-acceptance and public visibility. Thus, the lipstick becomes a simple but powerful symbol of the movement from marginalisation to empowerment.

Keywords: Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, Red Lipstick, Judith Butler, gender performativity, transgender identity, marginalization, empowerment, hijra, gender expression, autobiography

Article Info: Received: 25 Aug 2026; Received in revised form: 19 Sep 2026; Accepted: 23 Sep 2026; Available online: 27 Sep 2026

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.115.23