Talents and abilities that transpeople harbour often go unrecognised with the community being relegated to the society’s fringes.
“Many of us had childhoods that were devoid of activities like painting or dance that children usually enjoy,” said Sheethal Shyam, transgender rights activist, who was among 20 participants in an art workshop in the city for transpeople on Monday. “Transpeople consistently deal with several mental and physical issues which are set aside for some time to participate in events like this. Though the State’s policies have helped, visibility is still a problem, particularly in rural areas,” she said.
Lack of understanding and awareness of the issues faced by transpeople, in the absence of a discussion with the community, has resulted in legislation like the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill which was recently passed by Parliament, said Ms. Shyam, who is a member of the State Transgender Justice Board.
“Though the name suggests it, the bill does not protect. While we could earlier self-identify as transpeople, the Bill will subject us to medical scrutiny for an identification certificate,” she said.
The Bill mentions that documents are to be presented to identify as a transperson, but does not specify what documents, said Aditi Arundhati, another participant at the workshop. In a scenario where several transpeople have left their homes and struggle to find steady accommodation, procuring identification cards and documents was still a hassle, said Ms. Aditi who manages the government shelter for transwomen in Kochi.
“Such shelters are temporary and meant to accommodate transpeople who are in a 'crisis' or have just completed sex reassignment surgery. But transpeople are still vulnerable to resorting to sex work and living on the streets,” she said.
But workshops and events were supportive when the community came together, said Daya Gayatri, a second year student at Maharaja’s College, who initially dropped out of college when she began to experience an identity crisis, but later campaigned for and benefited from the reservation for transpeople in colleges.
The workshop was the inaugural session of a six-day camp for transpeople, “Marivillu 2019”, organised by the Kerala Youth Welfare Board. The camp will conclude on December 21.
