Third Gender Recognition : Tamil Transgender women in the forefront and their pioneering work

August 14^th, 2010

The day before the 63^rd Independence day of India. The golden day when the first seed for legal recognition of India’s third gender people was sown. The venue was Madras Judicial Academy.

It was an important day when the some of the highest Judicial Authorities gathered in the Chennai, the capital of Tamilnadu state. Department of Social Welfare of the Tamilnadu government, Madras High Court, Tamilnadu State Legal Services Authority,National Legal Services Authority and the Madras Judicial Academy joined hands and organised the SEMINAR ON ISSUES RELATED TO TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY. This was the first event when the highest judiciary of India could hear the transgender community’s dilemma in person, face to face, heart to heart. This was the event that tore open for the truths to bare all, the event that sensitized the some of the country’s greatest change makers.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Altamas Kabir, Chief Justice of the Madras Highcourt M.Y.Iqbal, Supreme court Judge Shri Sadasivam, Minister of Social Welfare Geetha Jeevan, Director of the Department of Social Welfare Mrs. Nirmala and the state one of the highest Police official Archana Ramachandran were the prominent participating guests in the event.

Once the protocol speeches were over, it was time for us, the transgender community to speak. I, as a representative of the community, I had been waiting for this great opportunity to present the problems faced by the transgender people.  I was on the dias sitting opposite the Honourable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Altamas Kabir giving him an emotional speech supported by a powerpoint presentation on the problems faced by the transgender people of India. I started from childhood, teenage and went to speak to the Judge about what dilemma and terror we faced in schools as transgender kids, the bullying, the harassment, the lack of understanding and counseling support, the life in fear and depression at such an young age.  I spoke to the Judges in detail about the discriminations faced by us in the public, the lack of education that has ultimately resulted the community to resort to begging and sex work. Abandoned by family and becoming beggars and sex workers, all our dreams crashed, we become unwanted people in the society.

Activist Priyababu spoke in detail about the possible solutions for the problems faced by the community, senior activist Noori and community voices Noorjahan and Selvi also spoke about the problems transgender women face in the society.

This was the first event in the Indian history when the transgender community could directly speak in detail about our problems to the country’s Supreme court Judges who were the members of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

After this event, on 4^th February 2011 National Legal Services Authority with technical support from United Nations Development Program organized a National Seminar at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The Seminar was titled ‘Transgender and the Law’. This was the first National seminar that discussed the legal rights and recognizing the third gender people of India.

Transgender and the Law, New Delhi

The man who was responsible for initiating this seminar was the then Supreme court Judge and the head of NALSA, Shri. Altamas Kabir sir. This seminar was the follow up of the first seminar held in Chennai.

Hundreds of Judges from all over India, including some of the prominent supreme court, high court and district court Judges were present in the event. The highest ranking Police officers from all over the country were also present in the event. It was a historical day in the transgender rights movement. Along with Honourable Justice Altamas Kabir sir who was also the Executive Chairman of NALSA, were other eminent Judges like the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court M.Y.Iqbal, New Delhi High Court Chief Justice Deepak Mishra and Justice Vikramajit Sen. UNDP Country Director Caitley Weisen was present at the event as well.

As activists and transgender community representatives, I and Priyababu were the two people from the South of India who were there to do presentations and deliver speeches to sensitize the officials. From the North were Gauri Sawant, Laxmi Narayan Tripati and Sabeena Francis.

The highlight of this seminar was the speeches and presentations by the transgender activists which aimed to sensitize the Judiciary on the problems of the transgender people of India whose life can only see ray of hope and an equal life like any other citizen of the country. After the protocol speeches by the chief guests and the hosts of the event, the Judges and Police officerrs were requested to be seated in two different halls. It was time for us to speak. I and Priyababu were in one hall and Lakshmi Natrayan Tripati, Gauri Sawant and Sabeena was in the other speaking, answering and interacting with the Judges on the transgender people’s life in India. I was sitting next to Cheif Justice sir, a very noble and kind person. He was listening to me very carefully and during his speech I could see how much of a deep understanding he has on the transgender issue.

Lawyer Laya Medhini from Article 39, Dr. Venkatesh Chakrapani, Akila Das from CFAR, Ernest Noronha from UNDP and Sonal Mehta were some of the people who were present there. Ernest Noronha’s amazing background work on the transgender rights issue is notable here. Working in UNDP, transgender rights has been one of the key issues close to his heart and he has contributed tremendously for the community’s legalisation and empowerment in a big way through UNDP.

Following this seminar,  a number of meetings and seminars were organised by State Legal Services Authorities of various states. I spoke at the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority’s seminar and  at the seminar organized by Guahati University in Assam. I was invited by the Indian Judicial Academy and once again met Judiciary from all over the country and spoke infront of them insisting the very importance of legalising our gender and procuring our rights. I also spoke at the Jindal Global School of Law on the same issue stressing on acknowledging our rights as citizens of this country.

Kalki with Judge I.A.Ansari in Gauhati University

Kalki speaks

Activist Jeeva spoke at the State Judicial meeting at Raichur and at Hyderabad, Olga and Bharati Kannamma also spoke at various meetings. At the district level Judicial meetings, Sangeetha spoke at Coimbatore, Kajol at Trichy and Viji at Tuticorin did their best to take the issue in front of the Judiciary and voiced for social justice and legal recognition for transgender people.

Akkai did the work in Karnataka following in the steps of her predecessors like Pamela and Revathi, Seetha and Rudhra Chetri did it at New Delhi, Ranjita Sinha and Amitava Sarkar did fabulous work in West Bengal. There were a number of activists from other states who did similar work with passion for determination for our rights and recognition.

Priyababu at TN state Judicial Academy

 Jeeva Speaks

The result of this great hard work by transgender women in sensitizing the Judiciary of India and advocating for our rights finally reaped its results. NALSA filed a Social Jutice Litigation with the Supreme Court of India in 2013. The case was known as NALSA v/s Union of India. After almost an year and a half, on 15th April 2014 the Supreme Court of India recognised transgender people legally. It also directed the state and central government to take proactive measures.

For almost a decade, UNDP has done tremendous ground work and has supported in our battle towards legal recognition of the third gender.

From Priyababu filing a PIL in Madras High Court in 2005 for voting rights, Revathi bringing the first book revealing the transgender people's life in our own voice, to Swapna Karthik fighting in the court for the rights of  transgender people to enter into civil services, it is an indisputable fact that the Indian transgender movement’s battle for legal recognition started in Tamilnadu. I say it with great pride that the Tamil transwomen have contributed largely and powerfully by voicing for the community’s rights and taking actions in the right direction in our country. Certainly, the legal recognition of third gender would have not have been possible with out the immense contribution of Transwomen from Tamilnadu.

April 15th, the day the third gender people were recognized legally in India, should be announced as National Transgender day. Jai Hind!

Kalki Subramaniam at the Indian Judicial Academy, Bhopal

REFERENCES:

August 14th, 2010:

Tamilnadu Seminar:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1159795.ece

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/135025/judges-favour-law-social-acceptance.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Jurists-call-for-laws-quota-to-ensure-transgenders-rights/articleshow/6312542.cms?referral=PM

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-govt-should-enact-law-to-protect-transgenders-rights-experts-1423384

Feb 4^th, 2011

National Seminar:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1159795.ece http://www.deccanherald.com/content/135025/judges-favour-law-social-acceptance.html

Support Sahodari Foundation's initiatives. Please visit www.sahodari.org to know all our work for the transgender community.

This workshop is helping desperate transgender youth become proud young leaders

From fear and dejection to confidence and hope, these young transgender women walked out with pride of who they are. 

April 25th, 2019. Sahodari Foundation with aid support from Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity and Groupon India began a major step in reaching out to desperate and deserving young transgender people and offering them a very useful and powerful youth leadership workshop which will lead them to empower their lives. I conceived the workshop to identify and groom young transgender persons in India to pursue their dreams of living with dignity and happiness, a life away from the melancholy of begging and sex work.

My idea came to a reality when I was invited to speak at Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity for speaking at their weekly meeting to its board members where I met Rotarian Suji Somasudaram of Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity who introduced me to the president of the club Rtn.Phf. Senthil Kumar.K, secretary and Rtn. MD.Vijayakumar.S.
My idea of a leadership workshop was immediately accepted as the club had the idea of conducting an RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) for transgender youth. Both the ideas were similar, just the names different.

In a week's time, it became a reality. All thanks to the Rotary Club which came forward to support 70% of the costs for conducting this event. The rest 30% was funded by Sahodari Foundation.

After quite a successful outreach, all the 20 seats were registered in a week's time. Participants came from Kerala and Tamilnadu, from places as far as Chennai and Kannur. The program was conceptualized by Kalki and each segment, its activity, and the invited speakers was carefully selected to give only the best knowledge and positive messages that will have a deep impact on the young trans people.

My purpose was to change their mindsets from desperation and fear to hope and confidence. Though she has offered several workshops for the transgender community, this was the first time a full-fledged leadership workshop was initiated.

Kalki Subramaniam speaks

Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity was so open and welcoming in conducting an RYLA for TransYouth. On April 25th, 2019 at 9.30 a.m, the workshop was inaugurated with Rtn. K.A Kuriachan as the chief guest of the event. The president of the Club, the secretary, and board members were present during the inauguration. Mr.kuriachan told the importance of equality, unity, strength, and believing in oneself,  he guided transgenders towards confidence, self-love, and being strong. Special invitees A.Revathi and Olga Aaron were presiding the event. All the participants were excited about the day. Later the Rotarians of the club left wishing the participants their best wishes.

The workshop started with my speech on the purpose of the workshop and how it is meant to help, support, and empower the lives of participants. Though a one day workshop, I wanted to utilize every moment of time to its utmost potential. So I requested to participants to be conscious of time and give their focus 100 percent.

Hugs of Trust

After self-introductions of everyone and moved on to two groups, the young persons were grouped as four and were assigned to senior transgender leaders for trusting and opening their hearts to speak out their major personal hurdles and seek out advice from them. The mentorship started with trust-building, experience sharing and nonjudgemental genuine advice seeking. That was the most important opening session of the day since the participants spoke and we mentors listened.

In the next session, the participants present were seated in the circle they were encouraged to speak openly about their life backgrounds, giving us a picture in which ways each one of them needed help, support and guidance in shaping their future.

Everyone in the room hugged each other bringing an assurance that they were not alone and provoked unity in the trans community. The guest speaker of the afternoon first session Mr. Ramesh taught the participants on the art of living with clean mental and physical state through yoga and meditation practices. This session was directed to be a part of the powerful human change through discipline and yoga practices for better and conscious living.

Transgender activist, writer, and theatre personality A.Revathi narrated her painful yet inspiring life story and the oddities she faced and how it made her weak, and facing it with courage made her strong and a leader among the community. The next session was followed by Mr.Arun Balakirishna bringing the participants great fun and laughter with some amusing brain and physical games which made the participants bend their body and mind.

Bridget speaks on the power of creativity

Art curator and administrator of Art Houz Bridget Shibu Thomas of Jennys Club of Coimbatore gave a powerful talk about being non judgment about one's own creativity. She listed why self-criticism is useless and show the power of practice brings perfection.

I was constantly motivating the participants, encouraging them to speak out, address their issues, and inspired them not to think themselves as a victim of circumstances but to be strong, challenging, and design our own destinies with the right decisions and how to take that right decision.

The last session of the day was conducted by transgender youth and upcoming artist V.Kanchana. She asked the participants to dream of their ideas of themselves in five years. They were encouraged to visualize their life and dreams. some of them want to be a mother, a model, a dancer, a winner, a leader, and just like they all have their own ideas of love and life they can be human resources in society.

At the conclusion of the workshop, Ms. Olga Aaron shared her speech about how it is important for transgender persons to understand the rights and duties and to have dignity. She spoke on the importance of law in society, to create a secure place in workplaces including private and government sectors for trans people. She talked about the human rights and constitutional violations against the transgender community that has been in practice since the history of the community of transgender people.

Sara visualizes her dream of becoming a Television presenter

Participating in this workshop is a big step towards a good and healthy life they wish for, they take courage, hope, and leadership skills with them. Along with me, Mr. Kurianchan and Ms. Olga invited the participants and offered them certificates to recognize their participation in the workshop.

That evening they left with pride and lots of friendships to nourish and cherish their lives a very very long time. Bondings and inspirations that will inspire and uplift their lives.

Sahodari Foundation will reach out to more and more trans youth and support them through a series of these workshops in the future.

Our sincere thanks to Groupon and Rotary Club of Texcity Coimbatore for their support. Groupon's Aid will help us to do a series of workshops this year for the transgender youth to empower their lives. 

Visit our website www.sahodari.org


Report: Kalki Subramaniam With inputs from Chinasha Notiya

In November 2023, I taught a Masterclass to MSW students at California State University Northridge on "Social Work for Urban Under Represented Communities".

I taught a Masterclass to MSW students from California State University Northridge on  "Social Work for Urban Under Represented Communities". 

I taught them innovative activism and how to represent and uphold the rights and bring the issues of silenced and underrepresented communities to the mainstream for social justice. 

I cited so many examples of my early activism work through video films, storytelling and performing arts which were very successful. 

'My Mother' a short documentary film by Sowndharya Gopi was also screened at the class room to teach them on amplifying the voices of underrepresented issues of transgender persons. This film was particularly about the relationship of mothers and their transgender daughters which was so beautiful. The film was a result of giving a Handycam to Sowndharya in 2010 and encouraging her to film her life and her friends. She brought such a small but very powerful film.

My experiences as an activist in using available tools for activism successfully and not really considering financial support as a block for creative activism was a very important lesson the MSW students learned from me in the Masterclass. 

I also spoke about using AI art for activism and my concept of transgender food festivals which were a super bringing visibility and opportunities to transgender catering entrepreneurs. 

I feel honored to share my experience and knowledge as an activist to American and international students.  

My first English Book 'We Are Not The Others' - A courageous fight to save my pride, my identity

My collections of poems, articles, essays and art as an English book - The trials and triumps of being a transwoman, all that and more in my book 'We Are Not The Others'. Available on Amazon.