Found at The Times of India

Following the abduction of an adolescent in a sex-change racket last week, conflicts have sprung up at Dasarahalli where
many transgender groups live.

According to them, the police issued notices to all residents asking them to evict transgender tenants from their houses. The police cited "immoral activities" as the reason behind the eviction notice.

Elarvathi Manohar, founder of Sangama, an organization that works for sexual minorities, said: "The notices were issued on the basis of a single abduction case. But how can you ill-treat so many members of the community like this? The police are defaming transgenders. Already, 50 of them from the area have vacated houses and left. I'm worried about them."

Ramya (name changed), a resident, said around 100 transgenders were residing in the area but only 30 are left. "The police gave three hours to residents to evict the unwanted tenants."

DCP (north east Bangalore), Basavaraj Malgathi, said the police were conducting a survey of children residing with transgenders. "We were counting the number of children. I also got a call from a woman who said the police were trying to evict people. We are not evicting anyone. As part of the recent abduction case, I want to know the details of children and from where they come," he explained.

Found at The Times of India

Technorati: india transgender transsexual Bangalore civil rights

Found at The Hindu

The transgender community in Coimbatore has urged the Government to provide them land. This is following the demand to the State Government to ensure equal rights to this marginalised community. M.Sangeetha, president of the community in the district, told The Hindu that the district administration had not acted upon the community members’ requests to allot at least two cents of land to 100 members.
“The greatest problem faced by transgenders is finding accommodation. Since most of us are ostracised by our families, we have nowhere to go,” Sangeetha added. She has been asked to vacate her rented house in Saibaba Colony, which she shares with other community members.
“Very few people are willing to give us houses on rent and we stay in groups of 10 to 12, which is very inconvenient,” she said.
“We have been fighting this for long. We request the Government to consider our demand,” she said.
Coimbatore has about 2,500 transgenders and 1,945 of them are part of ‘TAI Vizhuthukal,’ a community-based organisation formed by the transgenders themselves with the aid of a Chennai-based non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), TAI.
With the help of the NGO, the transgenders are given skill training, especially in catering, tailoring, photography, and computers. The monetary help given by NGO helps them sustain their lives.
“The Tamil Nadu Government is very progressive compared to other States. Government colleges have been instructed to give admissions to the third gender, which they are following and ration cards are being issued to us.
The application for voter’s ID now contains a special column for the third gender,” said Kalkhi, editor of magazine on transgender issues, Sahodhari.
The members of the community in Coimbatore are also carrying out advocacy programmes for the police officers, Sangeetha said.

Found at The Hindu

Technorati: india transgender transsexual land right law

Found at The Times of India

Young Karpaga, who makes her debut as a heroine in a Tamil film, is understandably nervous. She is busy rehearsing her lines and learning the nuances in the art of make-up, as the offer is not a passport to fame and wealth, but a lifetime opportunity to join the mainstream of the society.
Karpaga, the heroine of ‘Paal', is the first transgender in the country to don the leading role in a mainstream movie. "They have played lead roles in short films and documentaries earlier. But, this is the first time a transgender is featured as a heroine in a commercial film," says D Sivakumar, the film's director.



Barring a few exceptions, transsexuals have always been shown in poor light in Indian films. But the heroine of Paal is an intellectual, director of a short-film who is smitten by the love bug but facing a dilemma in revealing her identity to her lover.
Besides exploring the emotional and physical conflicts, the film stresses on the need for families to accept transsexuals. Before the society and the government step in, it is parents, who should understand their feelings and protect them, says Sivakumar, who is confident that the low-budget (around Rs 80 lakh) movie will do well at the box office.
The hunt for a heroine took several months. A film crew visited Mumbai and Pune before finally zeroing in on Karpaga, who lives in Bangalore. Actor Revathi will play the role of Karpaga's mother in the film.
Born in a middle class family of Erode in western Tamil Nadu, Karpaga, who was then the only son to his parents, left home at 17 and headed for Mumbai. When he returned as Karpaga after five years, the family was shattered but eventually accepted her. "I was reluctant to accept the offer to act in the film. I was sceptical about the way transgenders are shown in films. It was only after the director told me the story and explained the positive aspects of the film that I agreed," recalls Karpaga.
Karpaga, who has taken a crash course in acting and is training to become a dancer, has offers from other film-makers. "I've a couple of offers to act as heroine and one as a villain," she says. "I'll take a decision after the release of Paal."

Found at The Times of India

Technorati: india transsexual movie film transgender

Found at NDTV.com

Kalki is a highflying transgender IT professional. But her road to success wasn't easy. Her parents she says didn't accept her sexual orientation and forced her to take male hormone tablets. Away from home she was often a victim of sexual abuse. These factors only inspired her to dream big. Now the techie also runs a foundation for the betterment of transgenders.
''When you are successful people look up to you. When you are not its a totally different story,'' says Kalki.
Rose is the country's first transgender television anchor and has won the hearts of millions. She was once thrown out of home. But that did not stop her from acquiring an international professional degree. Her new celebrity status she says is changing mindsets.
''That would never happen earlier in the past. People would not just talk to transgenders. But now they not only talk to me, they invite me home,'' says Rose.
In another part of Chennai Priya Babu has emerged to be a successful author. She wants to develop a resource centre for the third gender.
''Education is my biggest strength and also the tamilnadu government has given us so many opportunities,'' says Priya Babu.
Transgenders have begun to script success stories in Tamil Nadu. A majority of them are still pushed into prostitution but the more vocal ones in the community are spearheading a campaign to get a transgender nominated to the parliament, state assemblies and local bodies.

Found at NDTV.com

Technorati: transsexual transgender india IT education