Transgender activist and actor Sheethal Shyam, who was denied room in a lodge at Vadakara on Monday, has approached the Social Justice Department with an appeal to take up the case seriously and find a solution to the issue in such a way as to benefit all the LGBT community members in the State.
It was the reluctance of the police to register a case the lodge manager that prompted her to take up the issue directly with the department and campaign for the cause, she said adding that the matter would also be taken up with the Kerala State Youth Commission.
“The police are of the argument that they cannot book anyone in the name of denying a room. It was not just the denial of room, but the man had verbally abused me,” she said. She alleged that the police were adopting a very supportive stance towards the accused.
With unjust restrictions imposed on them by some people, the LGBT community members were finding it difficult to get rooms in hotels and lodges, Sheethal said. “What I want is a permanent solution to this issue and the latest incident should be an eye opener,” she said.