CHENNAI: In a binary-coded world, checking boxes, forced conformity, and rigid rules take centre stage. As we tear out of our boxes and rewrite the rules of society, liberation inches closer but countless questions surface. What are the government-notified Tamil words that refer to transmen and transwomen? How do transpersons access identity cards, gender affirmation surgeries, and welfare schemes? How do parents truly understand children who belong to the trans community and raise them lovingly? Tamil book Thirunambium Thirunangaium, penned by trans writer Sudha, a Kalaimamani Award winner, artfully answers these queries, weaving stories, and incidents, nudging readers to sensitively and deeply understand the community.
“We understand girls through their stages, they may get married, and have kids, but how many know about the milestones and journeys of trans persons? This is a book for the public; there is no point in giving it to trans people; it is to educate students, the public, and those who head companies,” says Sudha. Over the past year, the member of Sahodaran, a city-based NGO, engaged in deep research and wrote 30 essays — touching upon themes of health, education, and family acceptance — in a popular Tamil daily. These stories were collated into a book and released in July at YMCA Madras International Youth Centre, Vepery.
Targeted at parents, students, house-owners, and citizens, Sudha’s words urge them to look beyond conformity, learn to be accepting, educate themselves, and be supportive. “It addresses misunderstandings and problems that arise and teaches people how to understand the community better. If a trans person gets a house, then what are the issues that come up in their surroundings, how can they face house-owners? How can a family identify them and give them counselling, how can a parent get the courage to raise them? When they read it, they may identify their child in the writing and think ‘oh our child is like this’ and our child also acts like this’,” she explains.
Busting myths and stigma
Of the 30 incidents, one story that delves into the life of the mother of a trans woman, remains close to Sudha’s heart. The stigma and discrimination against the community run deep and are also meted out to families, as the amma in her story is turned away from several family functions. “They don’t call her as they feel their children will become like her daughter. A society discriminates against the whole family… but we can’t entirely deem society as backward, it realises the need to accept the trans community but they need to understand it deeply, not superficially,” says the writer.
Apart from being a guidebook, Thirunambium Thirunangaium also outlines the countless laws, rights, and support systems for the trans community. The book sharply reminds the public that they can’t create issues for or take advantage of the trans community with the assumption they don’t have rights, points out Sudha. “They have national organisations and international networks. There is a medical guideline and the Tamil Nadu government is supportive as well.” Sudha also casts a spotlight on art forms of trans communities, and the various folk dance forms passed on through generations.
While several governments have schemes for transwomen, the lack of visibility of transmen persists in policy and collective imagination. “In the law and welfare boards, they say trans men and women, we have discussed transwomen time and again, we have never noticed transmen,” says Sudha, highlighting the need for shelters for transmen, for those who have left violent homes and others amid their transition phase.
In today’s world, where WhatsApp forwards and social media dominate, the writer says readers can scour through one essay at a time, as it would take only 10 minutes. Years from now, while looking back on the publication, Sudha says, she hopes that society will see rippling change with her words. “I am 50+, whatever I have seen, learned, and spoken, I have written. If I learned this, why should I keep it inside my mind alone? It is unfair if I don’t share this knowledge with everyone. It would be helpful for the next generation, and this would be evidence of a time changed. I want many people to read this, that is my desire,” she signs off.
For now, Sudha is back to gripping her pen, writing poems about her community, touching upon gender and sexuality. ‘Thirunambium Thirunangaium’ is priced at Rs 160.