KOCHI: The much-hyped first-ever short stay home for transmen in the state at Kunnukuzhy is going through much struggle to feed the inmates since the pandemic outbreak. Queerythm, a welfare association for LGBTIQ+ people who are in charge of Thanal Transgender Care Home have brought their situation to the spotlight. However, if they are not given the funds as promised by the authorities, they will have no option but to shut down the stay home.
Queerythm members alleged that the care home is the first to come up under the Social Justice Department’s Transgender Policy and was implemented at a cost of Rs 26 lakh. However, after the implementation of the project, no steps were taken to maintain it. “For a year now, the home has been providing shelter to about 10 transmen and employing about seven people from the community. Although we got some funds during the initial stages for its maintenance, no steps were taken by the authorities to initiate smooth functioning of the facility thereafter,” said Prijith P K, president of Queerythm.
“The community members have been neglected by the authorities from the very beginning. Although we submitted all the necessary papers for the amount to be sanctioned before the due date in March, no action was taken by the authorities. The salaries for the employees are also pending,” said Prijith.
Statewide issue
Earlier, the stay homes for transwomen functioning at Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram were also shut down owing to financial crisis. But no alternate facility has been provided yet. Currently, only three homes are functional in the state which includes Thanal in Thiruvananthapuram and the others in Kozhikode and Kottayam. About 100 people from the transgender community are residing in these homes. “If an immediate decision is not taken by authorities, the community members will not have a shelter to stay,” said a community member.