CHENNAI: Transgender persons often find themselves at the receiving end of a non-inclusive society, a stark example of which is their gross underrepresentation in Tamil Nadu’s electoral rolls. Activists say the low numbers do not reflect the actual transgender population, but rather the barriers they face in getting registered.
According to the Election Commission of India data, in Tamil Nadu, 9,464 third gender electors were on the electoral rolls prior to the Special Intensive Revision exercise after which the numbers dropped to 7,617, out of a total 5,67,07,380 electors. As per the 2011 Census, the number of transgender people in Tamil Nadu was 22,364 and in the last 13 years, the number would have doubled, at least, an activist said.
According to activists, only around 10% of transgender persons are officially registered as third gender voters. Documentation hurdles remain a major obstacle. Trans persons often lack a permanent address, which is essential for voter registration. Additionally, officials sometimes insist on surgery certificates for gender changes in identity documents such as Aadhaar, even though not all transgender individuals undergo medical procedures.
“This makes the process exclusionary,” said M Radha, a trans person who contested the 2021 Assembly elections as an independent candidate. She now works as a transgender welfare board member.
Grace Banu, a transgender activist, said changing name and gender in documents like voter IDs and Aadhaar will now become more difficult for her community members after the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, which was introduced recently by the union government. “The new amendments take away transgender people’s right to self-declaration for gender identity, and alter the definition of a transgender person. Instead of relying on self-declaration, it gives the medical boards and bureaucrats the power to decide who a trans person is,” Grace said, adding that many in the community feel politically invisible, as their numbers are often dismissed as insignificant. While many continue to be listed under male or female categories due to documentation constraints or personal choices during transition, the lack of actual data creates serious gaps in data accuracy and policy planning. Notably, Tamil Nadu is one of the few states which has an exclusive policy for welfare of trans persons, however, it will not yield desired results if the state doesn’t have accurate data on trans person population, opined the activists.
Transgender activist Olga Aaron said instead of chalking out welfare policies, the government should focus on identification of vulnerable third gender children.
“Family stigma, societal pressure, taunts and bullying from peers, they face it all alone. Due to no support, many end up making wrong choices in life,” she said.