Documentary on struggles of Kerala's transgender community

The way forward for the community is a difficult one, the documentary maker says.
K B Selvamony with transgender rights activist Sheethal Shyam during the shooting of the documentary at the State Central Library  B P Deepu
K B Selvamony with transgender rights activist Sheethal Shyam during the shooting of the documentary at the State Central Library B P Deepu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shunned by society, they continue to fight on for their rights. Now, a 40-minute documentary by a college teacher attempts to shed light on the lives, struggles and future of the transgender community in Kerala.

 “The third gender has managed to carve out a space where they can stand and fight. But they do have a long way to go. I made this documentary to stand with them in their struggle,’’ K B Selvamony, an assistant professor of Malayalam literature at the University College, Thiruvananthapuram, says of his work, ‘Memories of Trans.’  

Scheduled for release in January, the documentary shares the experiences of members of the community.

"They are a group which faces isolation. They have found their voice now. There is a transgender policy in Kerala today. Recently, the State Central Library threw open its doors to them. These are small victories and they want to build on that,’’ he says. ‘’But the way forward is a difficult one.”

For instance, the government has announced pension for transgenders aged above 60. But the fact is, many rarely cross 50, says Selvamony. ‘’It is still hard for them - in Kerala they number around 35,000 - to get proper medical care if they fall ill. Doctors think twice before even administering an injection,’’ he says. Discrimination is rife in other public spaces, even public toilets, offices and police stations, where they are shunned or looked at with ridicule.

Selvamony, who hails from Sasthamkotta, says he was introduced to the world of transgenders by the short stories of Pramod Raman. He first tried to understand them through literature, then decided to visualise their lives through a documentary. He did the script and direction himself, music is by T K Sanitha while Madhusoodanan Pillai has rolled the camera. The documentary is produced by Leslie.

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