The State government has suspended the use of the word thirunangai to denote transgenders in the government records.
Going by the press release issued by the District Social Welfare Department, the usage of thirunangai coined by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has been replaced with the old word moondram paalinathavar in Tamil.
In a press release approved by Collector M. Govinda Rao and released through the District Public Relations Office here on November 22, whitener was applied on the word thirunangai typed in Tamil in the release which invited nominations for the ‘best transgender award’ to be presented by the government at an event to be held on April 15, 2020, at Chennai. In the press release, moondram paalinathavar was written by hand in places where “ thirunangai/gal ” was typed.
When asked about the change, the DSW department officials said that they were directed through an official communique to denote transgenders as moondram paalinathavar in Tamil, replacing thirunangai .
Transgenders were called as aravani/aravanigal in Tamil prior to late Karunanidhi coining the word thirunangai to denote them.
