inclusion
Transgenders Get a Voice
Shahina KK Shahina KK 21 Apr, 2011
In Tamil Nadu’s recent election, even transgenders were on the voting list
During the recent Tamil Nadu polls, a quiet revolution took place. For the first time in India, transgenders were put on the electoral roll, giving them the right to vote. Rose Venkitesh, a popular television anchor and an aspiring political leader from the transgender community, says, “I received a warm welcome from people. Nobody looked at me differently. In some places, people even thought that I am the candidate and they offered their votes to me.”
In many ways, Tamil Nadu has pioneered an acceptance of transgenders. The state has not only witnessed vibrant queer movements but also facilitated historic legislations in favour of transgenders. It is India’s only state with a welfare board for transgenders. And no other state in India facilitates sex reconstruction surgery free of cost.
Though the number of transgenders enrolled in the voters’ list is small, they see this as an occasion to celebrate. “Political representation is very important in the process of empowering the community. The Election Commission deserves applause for this landmark decision,” says Venkitesh, who has campaigned for DMDK and AIADMK candidates. Another transgender rights activist, Kalki Subramaniam, campaigned for the ruling DMK. Both wanted to contest this time, but did not get tickets.
The inclusion of the third gender, catagorised as ‘others’ in the electoral roll, shows signs of a very humble beginning in Tamil Nadu. Data provided by the Election Commission indicates that poll turn-out among ‘others’ was 15.8 per cent, compared with over 77 per cent each for the other sexes. The total number of transgenders enrolled in the category itself is only 844, according to figures provided by the Election Commission. Chennai has the most number of transgenders enrolled in the third gender category: 292. But only 22 votes have been polled in Chennai—less than 7 per cent. In Thiruvalloor district, where 209 transgenders have been enrolled, only 19 have exercised the franchise —only 7.48 per cent.
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