TN to release policy for transgender people soon: Min

Madurai: Tamil Nadu govt is actively working for the welfare of transgender people and a separate policy for them will be released soon, social welfare minister P Geetha Jeevan has said. Inaugurating the national transgender literary, cultural and heritage festival and conference in Madurai on Thursday, she said the transgender clinic at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai will be replicated in other districts.

Organised at Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College, the festival provides a platform for transgender people and artists to showcase their rich cultural heritage and history in Tamil Nadu. “In cinema, transwomen were unfortunately prominently shown as sex workers. However, in Tamil literature, we can clearly see how transgender people lived in society across ages and even found a place in palaces. There is a need for awareness about what being transgender truly is and for transgender persons to be accepted in current society,” said Priya Babu, founder and director, Transgender Resource Centre, Madurai, one of the organisers.

Minister Geetha Jeevan said Tamil Nadu govt constituted Transgender Welfare Board and has been working to uplift the community by helping them set up businesses or get education or jobs. “A separate policy for transgender people is going to be released soon. We are also looking to encourage transgender persons to continue their education by covering the costs as required and making name changes and getting ID cards easier,” she said.

Four senior transgender folk and drama artists were honoured by the minister for spreading awareness about transgender people through their art forms. S Sivabalan, an artist from Virudhunagar, showcased 45 digital art paintings in an exhibition at the festival, depicting the representations of transgender persons in Sangam literature and highlighting their various art forms, rituals and customs. A street play or ‘Koothu’, ‘Aravan Kalapali Koothu’ and ‘Nallathangalum Aravanum’ on the living tradition of transgender people will be performed on Friday.

Courtesy:Times Of India

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