Trans Rights Now Collective (TRNC) is a Dalit-Bahujan-Adivasi-centered collective of transgender individuals in India which was founded by Grace Banu. [1] [2]
Abbreviation | TRNC |
---|---|
Founder | Grace Banu |
Founded at | Tamil Nadu, India |
Purpose | Advocacy, Support, and Rights for Transgender Individuals |
Headquarters | Tamil Nadu, India |
Region | India |
Trans Rights Now Collective was founded by Grace Banu, a prominent Dalit and transgender activist. Grace Banu created history by becoming the first transgender person to secure admission to an engineering college in Tamil Nadu.
The collective has been at the forefront of India's trans rights movement, advocating for the rights and visibility of transgender individuals, particularly those from marginalized communities.
Grace Banu and the collective have been vocal in demanding horizontal reservations in education and employment for transgender people. They have argued that clubbing all transgender persons into one category neglects the diversity within the community and the specific caste-based oppression faced by many. [3] [4] [5]
On April 17, 2023, over 15 transgender people, led by Grace Banu, staged a peaceful protest near Chennai's Kalaignar Karunanidhi Memorial. They were "forcefully" detained and "manhandled" by the Chennai Police before being released the same evening. [6] The protest aimed to bring attention to the demand for horizontal reservations for transgender individuals. [7] [8] [9]
In 2022, on November 20, which is observed as International Transgender Day of Remembrance, the collective presented a play titled "Sandakaranga" in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. the play showcased the harassment, abuse, and assault in that transgender people face in schools, and brought to life the voices of the trans lives lost. The writer and director of this show is the award-winning actress Negha Shahin. [10] The entire production was an effort by the trans community, everything from conception and direction to costume design and acting. [11] [12]
Pattali Makkal Katchi is a Vanniyar caste party in Tamil Nadu, India, founded by S. Ramadoss in 1989 for the Vanniyar caste in northern Tamil Nadu. It is a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It contests the elections with the "Ripe Mango" symbol.
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S. Ramadoss is an Indian politician. He is the founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, an Indian political party.
Tholkappiyan Thirumavalavan, better known as Thol. Thirumavalavan is a political leader, scholar and activist from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He is a Member of Parliament from Chidambaram. Leader and President of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. He rose to prominence in the 1990s as a bahujan leader, and formally entered politics in 1999. His political platform centres on ending caste-based discrimination and consequently the caste system. He has also expressed support for Tamil nationalist movements in Sri Lanka.
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A transgender person is someone whose gender identity differs from that typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.
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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.
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Living Smile Vidya, or Smiley, is an Indian actress, assistant director, writer, and trans and Dalit rights activist from Chennai.
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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.
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