Taking strong exception to Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy’s remark that the Union Territory might as well be declared as ‘transgender,’ a section of transgender activists have demanded apology from the leader.
Addressing a workshop in Puducherry on Thursday, Mr. Narayanasamy criticised the treatment meted out to Puducherry by the Centre and said that the latter could declare the U.T. as ‘transgender’ since it is neither treated as a State nor as a UT.
Madurai-based activist Priya Babu from the Transgender Resource Centre said the remark was grossly insensitive and derogatory to the transgender community. “The party he belongs to has Apsara Reddy, a transgender person, as an office-bearer,” she pointed out. The statement reflected the stigmatised opinion the leader had in his mind about transgender people, she said. Mr. Narayanasamy must immediately withdraw this remark and apologise to the transgender community.
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‘Patriarchal mindset’
Grace Banu, founder director of Trans Rights Now Collective, said the remark was unfortunate since Mr. Narayanasamy had participated in a number of government-initiated welfare measures for the transgender community in Puducherry in the recent past. “This statement makes it doubtful whether he had any real understanding and intent to address the problems of our community or he was simply taking part in these welfare measures for political mileage,” she said.
Stating that the statement came from a patriarchal mindset, she demanded that the Chief Minister must understand the insensitivity of the comment and apologise for it.
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