Many transgender persons in the city went out and voted on Tuesday, hoping for more jobs from the next government.
Jaya A, general manager, Sahodaran, an agency working with the third gender, says this marginalised community needs better government protection. “We did a survey sometime ago and found that many transgender persons dropped out of school owing to the harassment by teachers. The government should make schools a safe space... Another crucial need is to create jobs for us. The government should also consider giving us financial assistance every month,” Jaya said.
Sudha, a transgender person from Choolaimedu, got her voter identity card 15 years ago, and she has been voting in every election since then. “There are no specific announcements for us from most parties, yet we hope whoever comes to power will do something for us,” Sudha says.
Priyanka, a 37-year-old transwoman, reckons that if each transgender person is given a government job, based on educational qualification, it will help the community become independent.