Seeking identity
S. DORAIRAJ
Interview with Priya Babu, transgender activist.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/stories/20100101262610000.htmPriya Babu: "Integrating our struggle with that of other oppressed people is necessary."
PRIYA BABU has been working for the welfare of transsexuals as the leader of the Tamil Nadu Aravanigal Association and the managing trustee of the Social Integration and Development for Aravanis Foundation (SIDA). She hit the headlines five years ago when she filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court demanding voting rights for members of her community.
In an interview to Frontline, she discusses a wide range of issues affecting the transgender community. Welcoming the Election Commission of India's (ECI) recent decision to allow eunuchs and transsexuals the choice of registering under a separate sexual identity, she wants the commission to go still further to help the community maintain its separate gender identity. She is of the firm view that transgender persons have to join with other oppressed sections of society to win the battle for achieving their rights. Excerpts from the interview:
