While the largely unnoticed transgenders are making advances in all the major fields, their success story has been dampened by governments in the States and at the Centre. The community has been kept waiting for over six months for a response to a directive of the Supreme Court regarding announcement of transgenders as the third sex.
The transgender community that had on Monday come together to celebrate Transgenders’ Day, under the aegis of Tamil Nadu Murpokku Ezhuthalargal Sangam, for the second consecutive year expressed its unhappiness over the delay.
Speaking to Express, Priya Babu, one of the organisers, said, “We need a separate gender identity. For instance, on my birth certificate, it says that I am a male, whereas my voter identity card says I am a female. However, the certificate given to me by the government announces that I am a transgender. On October 2010, National Legal Services Authority had filed a petition with the SC seeking announcement of transgender as the third sex. SC asked some of the departments to provide an opinion letter on the issue within a month. But till date, no department has come up with the letter.”
Priya Babu said, “In Parliament, we have representatives for the Anglo-Indian community. We too require representation.”