Transgender voters want a 1% hiring and educational reserve

Since there aren’t many transgender voters in the state—roughly 8,000 registered voters—most political parties often ignore their requests since they don’t see them as a substantial source of votes. As one of the most marginalized groups in society, transgender people must continue to struggle for their rights via public awareness campaigns and securing employment and educational opportunities.

This time, 1% reservation in employment and education is their main demand. The community feels that this would significantly improve their standard of living. Transgender welfare regulations are in place in Tamil Nadu, but community members argue they are insufficient.

The Tennessee government said in the most recent budget that it will cover transgender students’ higher education costs. However, how are we going to go to universities and colleges without any reservations? The majority of us lack familial support. We fight for our lives and deal with stigma. Divya, a trans woman who has finished her degree, said, “Our situation will persist till we have a reservation.

According to Jaya, general manager of Sahodharan, an organization that supports the LGBTQIA+ community, raising public awareness of the group is essential to their inclusion in society.

Judge Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court said during the hearing of a transgender lawsuit that ignorance should never be used as an excuse to normalize discrimination of any kind. Additionally, he suggested educating parents, law enforcement, medical professionals, and other social stakeholders on the concerns facing the LGBT community. However, Jaya said that the state administration had not yet taken any action. She said, “I firmly believe that our social situation would improve if people from our community are sent to the Rajya Sabha and encouraged by political parties to contest in elections.”

Jyoti, another trans woman, said, “Transgender people should have the right to adoption and every district government hospital should have clinics specifically for us.”