India's first pilot is now a delivery person. Know his story.

Adam Harry became India's first transgender pilot in 2019. He was on the news as he was denied the right to fly by the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), on the grounds that he was physically unfit.

The reason was that he is on hormone therapy and experiencing gender dysphoria, which is the feeling of emotional disconnect between one's biological sex assigned at birth and gender.

This reason for disqualification was that a person's emotional dilemma should not be presumed. It's completely a mental factor that doesn't define a person and exists solely in their mind. This should not be the reason for disqualifying them.

During birth, Harry was assigned as female. As Harry had identified himself as a trans man with physiological changes like a beard and a male voice, the strict and bygone rules followed by the DGCA allow only 'men' and 'women' to undergo medical examinations. He was later declared unfit.

Adam Harry enrolled at Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology after he received his private pilot license from South Africa. He was helped by the Kerela government's social welfare department to get admission to the flying institute for a career in flying.

Harry started taking "cross-sex hormone therapy" as advised by officials for Harry to finish his hormone therapy and then apply again for the medical test. Adam learned flying in South Africa, where he moved after his parents took him to a psychiatrist to 'cure' him.

Since being denied the opportunity to fly, Adam is forced to work as a delivery executive for Zomato as he's going through hormonal therapy.

"The officials were transphobic and asked very personal questions about my physicality and how would I marry someone. They were bullying me to undress, even when I asked for a female assistant. I was told how they could risk 200 people's lives by giving me a jo," he said in an interview with a media outlet.

At the age of 13, Adam realised that he doesn’t quite associate with his sex assigned at birth. When he was in 12th grade, as earlier stated, his parents forced him to visit a psychiatrist to 'cure' his 'mental illness.'

Adam claims that Lanseria International Airport Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, was the only place he could truly express himself.