Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Transgender Day celebrations inaugurated

PHOTO: S. JAMES

INTERACTION: Mayor G. Thenmozhi interacting with transgender people in Madurai on Friday. —

MADURAI: A week-long celebration to mark the Transgender Day was inaugurated here on Friday.

Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative (TAI) along with Institute for Self Management, a city-based non-governmental organisation, had been organising the celebrations from January 18-24 for the past four years with the aim of establishing an identity for the community and bringing them into the mainstream, said Chitra George, its associate programme manager.

The transgender community would involve itself in organising puppet shows, street plays, story-telling and folk art performances to create awareness of cancer detection, prevention of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, importance of medical insurance and female education.

The celebration has a segment called ‘Aravani Utsav’ that will provide space for transgender people to exhibit their skills and talents.

The celebration would also allow the community to find solutions for begging and prostitution.

Transgender people would work with anganwadi workers in Usilampatti, T. Kallupatti, Melur and Sholavandan, said Edward M. Arokiadoss, secretary and director, Institute for Self Management.

He said that the NGO had targeted 1,500 transgender people and reached about 1,200 persons in providing empowerment through various economic activities.

So far, Mr. Arokiadoss said, they had formed four self-help groups comprising 85 members.

TAI has launched the celebration in 20 blocks in eight districts, including Vellore, Theni, Salem, Erode and Tirupur. It has received registration from 8,335 transgender people.

Corporation Mayor G. Thenmozhi inaugurated the stalls exhibiting dolls and wire bags made by self-help group members of the community.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Students showcase their talent on three ‘Fs’
Government urged to fill up vacancies
Transgender Day celebrations inaugurated
A good attempt to draw parallels
Awards announced
A melange of colours on display
Promise on international flights to Madurai
HIV infection more prevalent among drug users
Water level
In Madurai Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu