Transgenders to have ID, ration cards in Tamil Nadu

By Gopal Ethiraj, Chennai

CHENNAI, 18 August (asiantribune.com): Transgenders in Tamil Nadu, who have an exclusive Transgender Welfare Board, the first in the country, will soon have their demands of ration cards, passport and voter ID cards, fulfilled.

As a prelude to the entire process, a four-member committee, one of whom is a doctor, is screening the members of the board to ascertain their true sexual identity. The screening camp held on Sunday and Monday at the Kilpauk Medical College, not only checked those registered for their ‘gender’, it also collected all relevant data of the members, as soon they are to become beneficiaries of many government incentives and plans.

There are 390 registered members of this ‘gender’ in the city, of whom 262 turned up at the camp venue, where they were put to physical and psychological tests by a panel comprising experts in the medical and psychological field, apart from Gemma D Silva, District Social Welfare Officer, Chennai, and Noori, a transgender member. Another camp would be held at another date for the remaining registered members, Noori said.

This effort was undertaken to study these members for their social and economic betterment, observed Gemma, adding that the members of the board were already issued ID cards from the welfare board. She said: “This is an attempt by the government to fulfil the demands of the transgenders.”