The ‘others’: 17 from city get right to vote as transgenders

“I returned from America two months ago after addressing a gathering on the subject — transgender community in India. I narrated (to the Sanstha members) the stories of the ‘freedom’ the transgenders enjoy in the US and how they are treated on par with the other two genders. Today,our members here feel that if Panna can do it,so can they. They look at voter ID as the first document of their identity,” said Gabrel,40.

While the Supreme Court order followed by the Election Commission’s initiative in 2011-12 to introduce ‘other’ as an option in the gender column of the voter registration form has given the community the confidence to assert its true identity,the members’ struggle has been to fight the rejection by the world’s largest democracy.

For,when they went to register as voters,they could not furnish most of the details sought in the form,other than the gender.

“None of us know the names of our parents. In our community,we have a guru who we treat as parent. Our biological parents disowned us the day they discovered we are neither males nor females. Thus,there has been no permanent address,we do not know our religion either,” said Kuili,30,a transgender.

The members thus mentioned the names of their respective gurus as parents and furnished a letter from Ashirwad Sanstha as the permanent address of residence.

But the real ‘detail’ that has boosted their morale in this voter registration process is the arrangement that allowed them to choose the option of ‘other’ in the gender column.

“Our gender is our identity. But just like others,shouldn’t it be a minor detail against our real identity as Indians? We want to work. We want to go to college like others. We want to benefit from the government schemes. I want a voter ID card,a ration card. It is not about a card,but about my identity as an Indian. And if Panna can go (abroad),even I can,” said Aradhana,30.