Tamil sexual minorities are Tamil people who do not conform to heterosexual gender norms. They may identify as LGBTQIA.[ citation needed ] It has been estimated that India has a population of 2.5 million homosexuals, [1] though not all of them are Tamil, and not all Tamils live in India.
There are currently laws that criminalize homosexual sex implemented in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius, all of which have Tamil as an official or recognized language, and have referenced Section 377 of the British penal code as far back as colonial times. [2] Sri Lanka and Mauritius have implemented anti-discrimination laws, [3] whereas Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu provide support to transgender people. The law in Sri Lanka is legally dormant. [4] [5]
The entire political spectrum of Tamil Nadu supports transgender and third gender people. A Buddhist movement [6] [7] and the INC [8] both openly support reforming the colonial law criminalizing gay sex, but the remaining parties have been silent on the issue. Nevertheless, a number of politicians from across the spectrum have taken part in events to support the welfare of the LGBTQ+ community.
The famed festival for the deity Aarvan, the deity worshiped by transgender and third gender people, is descended from folklore established prior to the advent of the Tamil-Brahmi script [9] and celebrated at Kuvagam. [10] The story behind the festival is often heard in modern times through the Hindu epic Mahabharata, but more commonly as a separate folklore in Tamil culture. [11]
The Manimekalai a literary work, written by Buddhist poet Satthanar, that told the story of how Buddha would show compassion to people of a city, which included a man cross-dressing and a Jain monk as main characters. [12]
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Several religious statues created during this period, such as at Ranganathaswamy Temple, [13] Srirangam, some of which depict explicit homosexual acts, are attributed to the Chola era. The temple at Brihadisvara also has examples of religious references to transgender people and third genders through depictions of Ardhanarishvara. [9]
A number of artwork and records exist that can attest to the freedoms enjoyed by homosexuals prior to colonialism, including religious statues such as the ones at Tanjore. [14] [15] Similarly Buddhism has no significant history of condemnation of homosexual acts. [16]
Homosexuals are catered for in the Kama Sutra and other Hindu medical books. [17] The Kama Sutra was written around the 2nd century AD by Vātsyāyana, and it says that homosexual sex "is to be engaged in and enjoyed for its own sake as one of the arts" and devotes a chapter to describing the acts of homosexual and third gender sex. [18]
Portuguese India had territorial control over only certain parts of modern-day India's western coast and the island of Lanka, with the remaining being settlements in Southern India (including Tamil Nadu), with these settlements and the island of Lanka being captured (or transferred) to the British later on. [19]
Upon arrival to the island of Sri Lanka, the Portuguese invaders painted the local population as "backwards" and "sinful", explaining that the "horror" of homosexuality was present on the island, characterizing the island's king as being frightening for allowing the act of sodomy on the island, and even accounting that the king himself partook in gay sex. [20]
"As modernity, nationalism, and colonial and bourgeois morality began to sweep definitively across India in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, performing arts changed radically"
Anna Morcom
It was during this era of British colonial rule that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was implemented by the British Raj. Ruth Vanita, a scholar and historian, firmly defines the nineteenth century as ‘a crucial period of transition when a minor strand of pre-colonial homophobia became the dominant voice in colonial and post-colonial mainstream discourses’, and the CERA explains that the set of laws were part of colonial efforts to impose its values on its colony’. [21]
The indigenous arts suffered during this era, as ethnomusicologist Anna Morcom points out, 'As modernity, nationalism, and colonial and bourgeois morality began to sweep definitively across India in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, performing arts changed radically' with anything considered morally 'repulsive' such as erotic dancing and gender fluidity being swept under the carpet. [21]
French establishments in Tamil Nadu included Pondichéry, Karikal and Yanaon on the Coromandel Coast. [22] The act of homosexual sex would have been decriminalized in the late 18th century as part of the Napoleonic Code's view on the privacy of people and state intervention, [23] which applied in the French colonies of India at the time. [24]
Chennai-born Anjali Gopalan, whose father was a Tamil Hindu and mother was a Sikh, was one of South Asia's pioneers in providing support for sexual minorities. She established the Naz Foundation in the early 1990s in order to help sufferers deal with HIV, and also to act as a vehicle to lobby for sexual minorities. The organization would later go on to become a major force in Indian politics, persuading the Supreme Court of India to decriminalize gay sex. [25]
Transgender people had long been afforded acceptance in Tamil Nadu and by 2008 both transgender people and third genders had been recognized by the state. [26] The majority of dominant political parties in Tamil Nadu have contested elections with transgender politicians. [27]
The Tamil Nadu High Court has complained to the Centre that sexual minorities are not being provided their basic rights, suggesting that the law criminalizing gay sex should be reformed and that sexual minorities should be a reserved group. [28] There have also been several politicians from the Tamil BJP and RSS attending and supporting the welfare of sexual minorities. [29]
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note: bold typeface indicates that the event is widely considered to be most significant and landmark.
In his presence, not only the sun, but also the stars lose their luster
He is all male, female and ali and also different from all these.
The great Saivite saint Manickavachagar of the 9th century CE in his Thiruvembavai wrote in praise of Lord Annamalai
The terms ali and pedu are widely used in the Tamil language. The term ali refers to third-gender people, whereas the term pedu refers to homosexuals. [43] Kothi (see also: Kothi (gender) ) refers to 'effeminate/transgender homosexuals' and is similar to the more famous term kathoey used in Thailand.
According to Ottilingam Somasundaram, in pre-colonial Tamil culture, "The male pedus were described to have many effeminate features such as gait, other bodily movements, high-pitched voice, prudery, lacking virility, beauty and fine feelings. The female pedus were said to have prominent secondary sexual characters of females along with marked hirsutism, with the features of completely feminine stride, pestering, murmuring music, being fed-up, blessing, or cursing." [43]
The term aravaani is also used widely as a catch-all term for sexual minorities, but it can also include those which would be labelled as leaning towards disabled in western lexicon. [43] The term is officially used to describe the community of transgender and third gender people.
Country | Tamil Nadu | Malaysia | Sri Lanka | Singapore | Canada | UK | South Africa |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Tamils | 55,000,000 | 1,800,000 | 2,270,924 | 250,000 | 300,000 [44] | 300,000 [45] | 200,000 |
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Third Gender | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Blood Donations | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
The High Court of Madras has proclaimed that sexual minorities are not being protected as required by the constitution - something that signals its displeasure at the laws discriminating against homosexuals in Tamil Nadu, whereas the Government of Sri Lanka is looking at allowing homosexuals to serve in the military and donate blood.
There are an estimated 30,000 transgender people in Tamil Nadu. [46] Aravaani were historically discriminated against in employment in Indian culture, forcing them into begging or prostitution. [47]
The government has been implementing reforms to legal and governmental institutions in order to integrate and support this transgender population, including providing legal rights and welfare schemes. It has been accompanied by a large increase in presence for transsexual and third gender people in the highly self-sufficient Tamil media industry. [48] It is regarded as the leader of transgender welfare in Tamil Nadu. [49]
Aravaani can access sex reassignment surgery (SRS), accommodation, various identity documents, education, social security, and support for job/income seeking, and the state was also the first in India to introduce a Welfare Board with participants from the transgender community. [50]
In November 2017, General Nerin Pulle, the Deputy Solicitor of Sri Lanka, has stated that the government 'remains committed to law reform and guaranteeing non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity', and that the government has vowed to repel the colonial era law criminalizing homosexual sex during its periodic review of governmental affairs.[ citation needed ]
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has stated that consensual sex between adults should not be policed by the state and that "imposing custodial sentences would be inappropriate in cases where the impugned acts were between consenting adults" even when mandated by the law, thereby legally setting the law dormant. [39]
After making homosexuality illegal in 2013, the Supreme Court proclaimed by a 5-0 unanimous verdict homosexual sex between consenting adults should not be covered under Section 377. It said that the law violated the LGBT community's right to equality, dignity and privacy, under the Constitution of India. [51]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/realtime/sc_decriminalises_section_377_read_full_judgement.pdf
Tamil Nadu is one of the few states in India where activists have been seeking to attack anti-homosexuality laws at a state level. This is due to the nationalist climate of Tamil Nadu, the State's history of supporting reformation in favor of sexual minorities, and its diverging interpretation of the Hindu Marriage Act. But movement has yet to have been made in Tamil Nadu as of yet. [52]
The AIADMK and DMK have both held back from openly speaking out in favor of reforming colonial laws criminalizing homosexual sex, but several politicians from both parties have attended meetings and events in support of homosexuals, and neither party has formally voiced support for the law in the manner that many federal parties have.
The two parties have also successfully contested transsexual people at elections, and have appointed transsexual people to higher levels of their political parties and to government. [53]
In July 2018 the BJP government announced on that it will no longer oppose the decriminalization of homosexuality and leave it up to the courts to deliberate on. [54]
The parent organization of BJP Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its head Mohan Bhagwat stated LGBTQ people were part of society. [55] [56]
It is widely held that the homosexuality of the party's leader is an open secret. Ranil Wickremesinghe was the victim of accusations that he abused his power to seduce younger party members into having homosexual sex with him, which they allege is driving parents to keep their children away from the party's promotional activities. This might reflect the ethos of the party and its voter base as a whole. [57]
Mangala Samaraweera is an openly gay politician serving as the country's Ministry of External Affairs on behalf of the UNP. [58]
Being gay is totally fine. Even in Sri Lanka, you can be gay, as long as you marry a woman. I think this is horrible (girls I know have married gay guys in arranged marriages and it was predictably terrible and short-lived). What I mean is that being homosexual is fine even if it’s not accepted by some cultures. Sexual harassment and assault is not fine in any abstraction.
— Indi Samarajiva, Colombo Telegraph
The INC had vocally opposed the repeal of Section 377 whilst it was in power in the late 2000s and early 2010s. [59]
The party had used prejudiced slurs in parliament against the UNP whilst openly gay Mangala Samaraweera was speaking. [58]
The Buddhist movement (known in India as the Ambedkar Movement) has formally supported the reformation of colonial laws as part of its humanistic approach to governance. The BJP has formally voices support for the colonial law, but their Tamil office has members who attended various pro-LGBT events in Chennai, whereas the INC has said it wants to decriminalize homosexual sex.
Though these political parties have minor presence in Tamil political culture, support for reformation also came from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Janata Dal (S) and the Aam Aadmi Party. [60] The Chief Minister of neighboring state of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party, has actively voiced support for decriminalizing gay sex. [52]
The Government of Tamil Nadu funds a transgender welfare board which supports the transgender community with health related issues and other social problems, and it has scheduled the community as a reserved group which is entitled to receive special benefits. [44]
The Aravani Welfare Board is a social support organizations that's headquartered in the outskirts of Chennai, focusing on supporting the transgender community of Tamil Nadu. It plays an influential role in the organizations behind the Koovagam Festival. The name Aravani is a namesake of Krishna. [44]
One of Tamil Nadu's most senior BJP politicians, Pon Radhakrishnan, launched a website for sexual minorities called Shrishti, with the aid of several volunteers from RSS. [29]
An informal survey found that the majority of sexual minorities in Sri Lanka found westerners sexually desirable, finding them more 'sensual and sexually adept' than the locals; only around a quarter had had sex with a westerner. None of those surveys had issues with dating someone from the opposite ethnolinguistic group, either Tamil or Sinhalese, But apart from one person, the majority expressed dislike for Muslims (including Moors) and did not like them as friends or sexual partners. [61]
There is a preference for youth among the community, though social respect for the elderly can mean older people are also able to find sex. [62]
A survey found that the locals considered their own ethnicities "to be the most beautiful men in the world" placing them above westerners, the latter who were viewed as more 'sensual and sexually adept' than the locals. [63]
Community development may be traced back to Sunil Menon's mapping of sexual networks among MSM and TG in the early 1990s [64] and subsequent formation of Sahodaran, the oldest group of its kind in the city and state to provide spaces for community support and sexual health, primarily for working-class MSM who visit public cruising spots.
There are currently over 15 groups in Chennai that work on LGBTQIA+ issues. [65] Most of them are community-run initiatives, and some are NGOs.
Most of these groups are part of the informal Chennai Rainbow Coalition, formed in 2009, to jointly work towards visibility and advocacy. [66] The group was expanded in 2014 to constitute the Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition, with membership from groups around the state.
Other progressive groups such as Nirmukta (Chennai Free Thinkers), Prajnya, the Save Tamils movement, and the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Association are also strong supporters of gender/sexuality rights.
Chennai has two research institutes that partner with community groups to conduct social science and biomedical research on LGBTQIA+ issues. The Centre for Sexuality and Health Research and Policy has published extensively on issues such as stigma and discrimination faced within the healthcare system by MSM and trans women, legal recognition of transgender identity, and other issues. [67] The National Institute for Research on Tuberculosis (NIRT), in partnership with the community group Sahodaran and Harvard University School of Public Health carries out studies of mental health and HIV prevention among men who have sex with men.
In May 2017, Chennai saw an event that brought together employers, employees and activists to discuss the challenges faced by the queer (LGBTIQ) community at workplaces. This LGBT workplace symposium, titled LGBT Workplace — Expanding the Dialogue in India, was hosted by RELX in association with the Amsterdam-based Workplace Pride Foundation and the Bengaluru-based Solidarity Foundation, with Orinam and Community Business as community partners. [68]
Some of the panellists were Michiel Kolman, a senior vice president at Elsevier, Parmesh Shahani, head of Godrej India Culture Labs, Sunil Menon, founder of NGO Sahodaran, lawyer Poongkhulali Balasubramanian, Mahesh Natarajan, form InnerSight, Ritesh Rajani, an openly gay HR diversity professional, and journalist Lavanya Narayan. [69] [70] [71]
A major problem with discrimination, namely racism and colorism, against South Indians remains commonplace throughout the Tamil world, with issues of casteism also playing a role in India. [72] Tamils discriminate against those from Islamic backgrounds. [73]
Kollywood is based on traditional entertainment in Hindu temples, where dances would perform a ballet to a story accompanied by musical instruments and singers. There has been very few musicals produced in Tamil Nadu containing sexual minorities, though a few about transsexual people have been produced.
The classical dance form Bharatanatyam is frequently considered to be a venue where non-heterosexual sexual minorities are able to express themselves strongly as the dance utilizes gender-fluid concepts, and the dancers of the Bharatanatyam are predominantly women, gay men, and transgender people. [44]
One of Tamil's most famous literary works involving sexual minorities was composed around 600 BCE. The ancient folklore about Aravan tells the story about Krishna's transformation to a female manifestation in order to marry the deity Aravan, all of which takes place during the context of the Mahābhārata. [11]
The following Sangam period also gave birth to many famous literature works about sexual minorities, a famous story is the one about the deep love and attachment between the King Pari and poet Kabila. Other works such as the one between Koperunchozhan and Pisuranthaiyar also exist though are less famous. [78]
Manimekalai was composed during the closing centuries of the Sangam period (or after depending on the definition used) by the Tamil Buddhist poet Sathanar, which tells the tale of how Buddha gave compassion to various people of a city, including a monk, a drunk man, and a cross-dressing boy. [12]
The most famous festival involving sexual minorities is the Koovagam Festival in the Tamil city of Villupuram based on the folklore of Aravani. The celebration is dedicated to the deity Aravani, the groom (and later husband) of the transgender manifestation of Sri Krishna. The festival involves religious rituals, blessings, parades, re-enactments of scenes from the folklore, political protests, and sexual intercourse under the full moon, among other things. It is frequented by many non-transgender sexual minorities and has become a staple of Tamil culture, not only for the sexual minority community, but also to the wider general population of Tamil Nadu.
An annual LGBT Film Festival is also held at the Gothe Institute in Chennai, an institution of the German Federal Government, organized by Alliance-Francaise, an institution of the French Republic Government, and SAATHII. [79] This has frequently be joined by one-off movie events organized by other foreign institutions and NGOs.
Other events include the Chennai Rainbow Pride. [80]
A number of transgender people have taken offense at what they perceive to be comical and/or negative depictions of their community, with the depictions often stereotyping the community as being promiscuous. [81]
HIV remains a serious problem in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. As the majority of transmissions of HIV in India are through heterosexual sex, the majority of support networks have focused on declining transmission rates among heterosexuals, and while this has worked in reducing transmission rates among heterosexuals, transmission rates among homosexuals have been increasing. The LGBTQIA remains the only high-risk HIV group in India. [82]
The YR Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRGCARE) conducted rapid study of homosexuals in Tamil Nadu around 2008 across 18 cities, towns, and villages. The study found that prevalence of HIV among homosexual sexual minorities in major urban areas stood at around 10%, and was compounded by a lack of education. [82]
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Sri Lankans resemble (and are part of the stock of) South Indians in terms of body build, face shapes and anthropology; [83] most islanders have a brown skin tone, [84] and often light skinned people are considered to be foreign by the islanders. [85] [86] [87]
Indian cinema industries are viewed as being discriminatory against browner skin tones, [88] but the island's cinemas are dominated by island-produced movies, [89] and South Asian cinemas are disliked by younger people. [90]
A survey found that the locals considered their own ethnicities "to be the most beautiful men in the world" placing them above westerners, the latter who were viewed as more 'sensual and sexually adept' than the locals. [91]
Rose Venkatesan hosts a talk show called Ippadikku Rose and has also hosted beauty contests in Tamil Nadu. [44]
Swapna.S is the first trans woman to clear the state civil services exam. One of the key figures in the modern Trans educational rights movement in India.
Grace Banu is a transgender activist who was the transgender person to be admitted to an engineering college in India. She has also been working against what she perceives as discrimination against lower castes too. [92]
Gopi Shankar Madurai is a human rights activist, first openly Intersex and Genderqueer candidate to contest in Tamil Nadu State Assembly Election 2016. A monk during their youth, He quit in order to become more politically active and has become a leader in Tamil activism. Shankar is a practitioner and teacher of traditional philosophies. [93]
Living Smile Vidya is a transgender actor whose biography "I am Vidya" has been made into a movie in the neighboring state of Karnataka. [94]
Shyam Selvadurai is a gay fiction author who lives in Canada. He is of Sri Lankan Tamil origin. [95]
Bharathi Kannamma is a transgender lawmaker who tried to represent an electoral district in Madurai at the Parliament of India. [96]
note: several personalities listed in this section are mixed-ethnicity, but are included because they either speak Tamil or reside in a Tamil area.
Hindu views of homosexuality and LGBTQ issues more generally are diverse, and different Hindu groups have distinct views.
Homosexuality in India is socially permitted by most of the traditional native philosophies of the nation, and legal rights continue to be advanced in mainstream politics and regional politics. Homosexual cohabitation is also legally permitted and comes with some legal protections and rights.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in India face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ people. There are no legal restrictions against gay sex within India. Same-sex couples have some limited cohabitation rights, colloquially known as live-in relationships. However, India does not currently provide for common-law marriage, same-sex marriage, civil union, guardianship, unregistered cohabitation or issue partnership certificates.
Article 365 of the Sri Lankan Penal Code, which dates from the time of colonial British Ceylon, criminalizes sexual acts deemed "against the order of nature". The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled favourably for decriminalization and has agreed that any imposition of penalties are incompatible with the current times, but does not have the authority to invalidate laws, acts, or governmental actions even if they are incompatible with a higher morality. A bill aimed at decriminalization was submitted to parliament in August 2022 has been given the support of the ruling government. Furthermore both major parties from across the political spectrum have generally expressed support for homosexuality.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Tamil Nadu are the most progressive among all states of India. Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to introduce a transgender welfare policy, wherein transgender individuals can access free gender affirmation surgery in government hospitals and various other benefits and rights. The state was also the first to ban forced sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants, and also the first state to include an amendment in its state police guidelines that expects officers to abstain from harassing the LGBTQIA+ community and its members. The state also became the first to ban conversion therapy as well as the first to introduce LGBTQIA+ issues in school curricula.
India has a long and ancient tradition of culture associated with the LGBTQ community, with many aspects that differ markedly from modern liberal western culture.
This is a timeline of notable events in the history of non-heterosexual conforming people of South Asian ancestry, who may identify as LGBTIQGNC, men who have sex with men, or related culturally-specific identities such as Hijra, Aravani, Thirunangaigal, Khwajasara, Kothi, Thirunambigal, Jogappa, Jogatha, or Shiva Shakti. The recorded history traces back at least two millennia.
Chennai has LGBTQIA cultures that are diverse concerning- socio-economic class, gender, and degree of visibility and politicisation. They have historically existed in the margins and surfaced primarily in contexts such as transgender activism and HIV prevention initiatives for men having sex with men (MSM) and trans women (TG).
The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBTQ topics:
Orinam is a non-funded, social, and activist collective that works to enhance understanding of alternate sexualities and gender identities among families, communities and society. It was founded in 2003 in Chennai under the name MovenPick and is one of the oldest collective of its kind in India. People affiliated with Orinam are from or trace their ancestry to the following geo-cultural: People of Tamil Origin from Tamil Nadu, India. Orinam provides a platform for creative expression, personal and social commentary by Queer people of Tamil Origin and of Indian Origin primarily. Orinam also acts as a local support group in Chennai for the queer community. Orinam also partners with the city-, state- and national initiatives around decriminalisation of homosexuality by amending Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and LGBTQ rights.
The Chennai Rainbow Pride March has been held by members of Tamil Nadu LGBTIQA+ communities every June since 2009. The pride march is organised under the banner Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition, which is a collective of LGBT individuals, supporters, and organizations working on human rights and healthcare for the LGBTQIA community. The Pride March occurs on the final Sunday of June every year. The Pride March is usually preceded by a month-long series of events organized by NGOs and organizations to inculcate awareness and support for the LGBTQ community, such as panel discussions, film screenings, and cultural performances. The Chennai Vaanavil Suyamariyadhai Perani a.k.a. Chennai Rainbow Self-Respect March is known for being inter-sectional in nature as it addresses issues with multiple axes such as caste, class, religion coupled with gender discrimination.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Kerala face legal and social difficulties not experienced by non-LGBT persons. However, Kerala has been at the forefront of LGBT issues in India after Tamil Nadu. It became one of the first states in India to establish a welfare policy for the transgender community and in 2016, proposed implementing free gender affirmation surgery through government hospitals. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 2018, following the Supreme Court ruling in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India. In addition, numerous LGBT-related events have been held across Kerala, including in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. However, there is also increasing opposition to LGBT rights recently as evidenced by the anti-LGBT campaigns spearheaded by meninist groups and Muslim organisations like Indian Union Muslim League, Samastha and Jamaat-e-Islami.
Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies". They are substantially more likely to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) than endosex people. According to a study done in Australia of Australian citizens with intersex conditions, participants labeled 'heterosexual' as the most popular single label with the rest being scattered among various other labels. According to another study, an estimated 8.5% to 20% experiencing gender dysphoria. Although many intersex people are heterosexual and cisgender, and not all of them identify as LGBTQ+, this overlap and "shared experiences of harm arising from dominant societal sex and gender norms" has led to intersex people often being included under the LGBT umbrella, with the acronym sometimes expanded to LGBTI. Some intersex activists and organisations have criticised this inclusion as distracting from intersex-specific issues such as involuntary medical interventions.
Gopi Shankar Madurai is an Indian equal rights and Indigenous rights activist. Shankar was one of the youngest, and the first openly intersex and genderqueer statutory authority and one of the candidates to contest in 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. Shankar is also the founder of Srishti Madurai Student Volunteer Collective. Shankar's work inspired the Madras High Court to direct the Government of Tamil Nadu to order a ban on forced sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants. In December 2017, Shankar was elected to the executive board of ILGA Asia. In August 2020, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment appointed Shankar as the South Regional representative in the National Council for Transgender Persons.Shankar introduced the "others" option in the sex column of application forms for political parties and central universities, including Jawaharlal Nehru University. Shankar was also instrumental in granting civil rights for transgender persons, including pilot licenses for transmen and property inheritance rights for transwomen. Additionally, the Juvenile Justice Committee and POCSO Committee seek Shankar’s advice on issues related to the infancy and childhood of infants and children born with diverse sex characteristics.
The following list is a partially completed compilation of events considered to have a profound effect on the welfare or image of Tamil sexual minorities. The use of bold typeface indicates that the event is widely considered to be landmark:
Srishti Madurai was established on 2 September 2011 by Gopi Shankar Madurai as the first genderqueer and LGBT student volunteer group designed to address the problems of LGBT people in the non-metro cities of Tamil Nadu. In October 2011 Srishti Madurai launched India's first helpline for intersex, genderqueer, and LGBT people at Madurai. In June 2013 the helpline turned to offer service for 24 hours with a tagline "Just having someone understanding to talk to can save a life". Srishti Madurai also organized Asia's first Genderqueer Pride Parade at Madurai.
Sexual minorities in Sri Lanka have been counted in recent times as consisting of as little as 0.035% of the population to as high as 19.6%. It is likely that there are around 1,100,000 according to current mapping conventions.
The history of sexual minorities in Sri Lanka covered in this article dates back to a couple of centuries before the start of the Vikram Samvat era, although it is highly likely that archaeology predating this period exists. There are virtually zero historical records of sexual minorities in the Latin script dating prior to colonialism. The concept of Sri Lanka did not exist prior to colonialism, and the term 'lanka' translates to 'island'.
Homosexuality in Sri Lanka has been documented since ancient times. Since the 17th century, homosexual intercourse has de jure prohibited through the Penal Code first implemented under the colonialism, but human rights organizations write that arrests are rare and prosecutions only relate to non-consensual sex and prostitution.
The third gendered in Sri Lanka is not as openly discussed as in other parts of South Asia. Though a strong tradition of transgender people exists in Sri Lanka, and even though these people have been allowed to convert for a long period, third gendered people have mostly avoided mainstream discussion on the island. Several reports state that the concept of a third gender is not found on the island, but binary concepts are found that are similar to the third gender.
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