Gender roles, eunuchs, holy men

One thing about Twilight in Delhi that fascinates me is the presence and portrayal of eunuchs, holy men, and mystics which forms part of the general background noise of the novel.  It got me thinking about gender roles outside of the normative male/female hierarchy, and whether and to what degree Muslim communities would respect and revere men reputed to be mystics.  Particularly intriguing was the "Bride of God" who was an alchemist and more interestingly, a transvestite.  Could such people exist and be embraced today?  I feel like India in my lifetime is less tolerant than in older days.  In theory, Hinduism (Shaivism at least) embraces homosexuals and transgendered people, as embodying the dual masculine/feminine aspect of the Divine; I wonder if the casual acceptance of the "Bride of God" partakes of that attitude at all, or doesn't exist in Islamic thought (I wouldn't be surprised to find it in Sufistic thought).