The Higher Education Department in the state is expected to issue an order within a week to allow transgenders entry into co-educational colleges. The move was appreciated by educationalists and the students community who said it could pave the way for assimilating the members of the third sex into society.According to them, the decision to provide entry to transgenders while specifying the sex of the candidate on the college application forms is revolutionary.“They are like any other human beings. Giving their sexual identity an official recognition will help people understand them better,” said P Marthamuthu, Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University. “Though their physical appearance and behavioural patterns are different, the transgenders are in no way less competent,” he added. R Raja Govindasamy, Principal-incharge of Thiagaraja College, said the Government could also extend the benefits of reservation to the transgenders in order to encourage them to pursue education. They might face discrimination at the initial stage, but counselling could help students bridge the gap.
