From margins to mainstream: Trans fest marks community claiming space

FOR decades, the transgender community in Kerala remained relegated to the margins of society: Excluded from schools, overlooked for jobs and forced into vulnerable livelihoods.

- POOJA NAIR @ Kozhikode

FOR decades, the transgender community in Kerala remained relegated to the margins of society: Excluded from schools, overlooked for jobs and forced into vulnerable livelihoods. But this week, Kozhikode's three-day transgender arts and ideas festival, Varnapakittu, had a different story. Beyond music, dance, and films, the event showcased a community claiming their space in classrooms, hospitals, research institutions, and government offices.

Unlike earlier gatherings that revolved around cultural programmes, Varnapakittu opened with a national conference on health, education, employment, and rights. Among the participants were Nayana N, a PhD scholar researching social inclusion, and Dr Sandhya, a young medical doctor involved in community health initiatives. They joined an impressive roster of speakers that included mental-health expert Dr Indu PS, Kerala's first transgender dentist Dr Anu Radhakrishnan, and Tamil Nadu's first transgender assistant professor Dr N Jency.