Thiruvananthapuram: Transgender persons – It’s official

Thiruvananthapuram: Four years after Kerala became the first state to adopt a transgender policy ending discrimination, the government issued an order against addressing them as “bhinnalingam, moonnam lingam (third gender) and bhinna laingikam”.

The GO. 388/2019/social justice department issued on Friday states that they are ‘transgender persons.’

The community has been demanding this since the landmark 2014 Supreme Court verdict stating that they too have got the fundamental rights granted under the Constitution.

“Whenever we visit a government office for Aadhaar, officials humiliate us calling us third gender. Unfortunately, it is the educated class that keeps addressing us in a derogatory manner," transgender activist Soorya told DC.

“People belonging to the lower middle class and illiterate easily take on what is being said by the educated class.”

The 32-year-old who recently got married to Ishan K. Shan says they are happy with the GO, their long-standing demand. It also states that in all their official documents, they should be addressed only as transgender persons.