I faced bullying and teasing, could sail through due to my family’s support: Pune’s new trans icon entrusted with getting more transgenders to vote

Born male, Prerana understood why she felt different and accepted her feminine identity. “At that time, I faced bullying and teasing at school and college, but could sail through entirely due to my family’s support,” she said.

Prerana, who has been on the Lok Adalat panel, is also the secretary of the Mangal Mukhi Kinnar Charitable Trust. Engaged in advocacy and training programmes in the trans community, she strongly feels the need for a trans person to represent the community in the local/state/national bodies so that issues concerning them can be raised and resolved.

“We need laws that are favourable to the trans community,” said Prerana, actively reviewing and creating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies at her firm. Her father is a retired official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation while her mother is a home maker. She has two elder brothers.

A voracious reader, Prerana recalled her journey and how determined she was to complete her studies. She completed her Master’s in Education and underwent a sex reassignment surgery two decades ago. With a lack of opportunities for her gender in the field of education, Prerana moved to Pune from Mumbai. She now works as an HR manager at an IT firm.

`”I wanted to work in a place where I could stay true to myself and be who I really am,” Prerana told The Indian Express. “Hence I feel very proud to be a trans icon as it provides an opportunity to convince and encourage others from the community to exercise their franchise. It also paves the way for trans rights,” she added.

“In many cases, trans persons do face challenges as they do not have adequate documentation. However, voter awareness drives have been conducted. In this democratic festival, voting is not just our right but it can empower us to ensure that our issues are heard,” added Prerana.

Involved in inclusive leadership programmes, Prerana has worked with several prominent NGOs towards training and capacity building of the trans community.

“I have been sensitizing key stakeholders in the government so that we can make a difference in the lives of fellow trans individuals,” said Prerana, who has been relentlessly challenging stereotypes to create an understanding of the trans community. With an aim to transform lives, Prerana hopes to use her opportunity as a trans icon to reach out to many and help create more opportunities for the community.