Rainbow of Hope: The Hindu Editorial on Tamil Nadu’s Vocabulary to Address the LGBTQIA+ Community

Struggling with gender identity, and fighting against stigma, prejudice and discrimination, the LGBTQIA+ community in Tamil Nadu, at least for now, will no longer scoff at slurs or half-baked names. Tamil Nadu Government on the orders of Madras High Court come out with a glossary of words To address people of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual or any other orientation. Social Welfare and Women’s Empowerment Department notified the conditions , Pal Pudhumaiyar for Queer; Maruvia Palinum for a transgender; idippal for the intersex; Palina Adiyalangludan Othupogathavari For a gender non-conforming person and so forth. Not everyone is happy; Some groups feel that the word transgender should be in use, Thirunari, Others hope the nomenclature won’t get rid of those that generalize out of the benefits. For this diverse community, the path from isolation to belonging has been full of prejudice and violence, which was wrong, Justice N Anand Venkatesh of Madras High Court sought to amend In its decision of June 7, 2021, In April, during the hearing of a same-sex couple seeking police protection from belligerent parents, Justice Venkatesh admitted that he had to let go of his misconceptions before deciding the case. The High Court issued a slew of guidelines for the police and social welfare ministries of both the state and the Center to ensure the safety of the community.

In February, the High Court pulled up the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for dragging its feet on listing the names of NGOs working for the community. In a June 2021 order, the High Court had held that social acceptance is paramount to leading a life of choice. In 2018, a Supreme Court bench overturned a 2013 decision and decriminalized homosexuality. But the historic verdict was only the first step. A person who wishes to live with dignity, no matter how he wants to be recognized, still has many mountains to climb before he can enjoy the freedom, autonomy and privacy guaranteed by Article 21. The state and society often organize traditional values ​​to deal with all forms of fear, and the equal rights movement in Tamil Nadu must ensure that children are not forced to go for conversion therapy or be segregated. They should not be thrown out of their homes. Rights activists hope the terminology is fluid as conversations around gender and sexuality continue to evolve. By creating language inclusion for the marginalized community, the state has worked on the principle of suyamriyadhai Or Swabhiman, the cornerstone of the Dravidian movement. Tamil Nadu has shown the way, but there is a long way to go before people are forced to live in the shadows to see a rainbow of hope in all walks of life.