apsara Reddy has become first transgender woman to be appointed the national

general secretary of All India Mahila Congress (AIMC). Reddy was appointed by
Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the presence of Lok Sabha MP and AIMC
president Sushmita Dev.

APSARA AS JOURNALIST, ACTIVIST AND POLITICIAN

Reddy is one of India's most well-known transgender journalists and activists. She
and social activism have gone hand-in-hand since her college times. She has also
taken up high-profile cases of child rape and created a media sensation in Tamil
Nadu.
Reddy initially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after meeting party
president Amit Shah but her run in the party was short-lived as she quit within a
month; she said, "The BJP is regressive and has no place for free-thinking
individuals."
Reddy was offered national spokesperson's role by J Jayalalithaa, former chief
minister of Tamil Nadu. She continued in that role till differences cropped up with
the faction-ridden All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). She
said, "I come from a background where I was exposed to many prejudices and
injustices quite early on. The hypocrisy and discrimination only motivated me to
work against the injustice. India is being governed by forces that place far more
importance on religious identity than the rights and dignity of women. The
Congress is truly a party that built India and sustained us for generations with good
policies and a sensitive and inclusive approach towards governance. Rahul Gandhi
ji's commitment to fair representation of women, woman-centric manifesto goals
and dynamics are truly inspiring and I would be delighted to serve women across
the country under his leadership."
Reddy feels being a woman is a blessing. She said, "Over 40 per cent of Indian
women according to the Human Development Report's Gender Inequality Index
suffers abuse, neglect or violence at the hands of their husbands or family
members. Girl child rape is at an all-time high. To protect women from crimes and
abuse we need to embolden their voices, frame policies that push for intervention
and strengthen our social justice mechanisms."
Making a point about the Transgender Bill, Reddy said, "The BJP government has
this patronising attitude towards us. We don't need charity, we need assistance to
bridge the inequality meted out to us for far too long. They use words like
rehabilitation. What the community truly needs is education and equal
opportunities. Most importantly political recognition such as this by the Congress
goes to show that Rahul Gandhi ji looks at us as a talent-pool and a worthy skill-set
rather than a fringe group which needs pity. This is a good starting point for
mainstreaming."
AIMC GENERAL SECRETARY AND BJP
Laying out her plans as the newly appointed general secretary, she said, "I will
meet with a cross-section of women to address issues pertaining to their rights.
This coming election I will campaign vociferously against the fascist BJP
dictatorship which drives a coloured agenda reducing people to what they eat,
how they pray and how they love!"
Taking on the BJP in her home state Tamil Nadu, Apsara said, "AIADMK
government is playing into the hands of the BJP. Sterlite Industries protest
saw the killing of many innocent civilians, the eight-lane highway project will
displace lakhs of farmers and the forced NEET [National Eligibility cum
Entrance Test] medical entrance exam claimed the life of a bright young Dalit
student. Never in the history of any state has a central minister audited the
office and the chief of staff of a sitting Chief Minister. It happened in TN. I
will work in the grassroots to ensure that the BJP's sinister plans for TN will
not take shape and ensure the Congress returns to power in TN."
"I will work with the Congress Mahila State Unit's across India towards
women's economic empowerment, fighting against social injustices, helping
women find their human rights and help contribute to the Congress party's
manifesto with women-centric policies. I am truly excited to work with the
dynamic president of the AIMC, Sushmita ji as she embodies strength,
courage and a contagious determination to do the right-thing for
women," Apsara Reddy added.

"All my life, transgender women have been told that you'll

never be able to make it in your life. To be welcomed into one
of India's largest and oldest national parties is hugely
emotional for me," said Apsara upon joining the Congress.
Apsara Reddy, a former journalist, had joined the AIADMK
party in May 2016. After Jayalalithaa’s death she moved to
the pro-Sasikala camp of the AIADMK.
 Before joining the AIADMK, she also had a brief stint with the
BJP. Explaining her reasons for leaving the BJP, the activist
complained that she was just a "photo opportunity" for the
party on Women's day.
Apsara is probably the only trans personality to head several
national newspapers across the world. Born a boy, Apsara
later transitioned to be a woman.
She has a degree in broadcast journalism with specialisation
in investigative journalism.

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Apsara Reddy is an Indian transgender woman who is an Indian politician and journalist.
Her previous name was Ajay Reddy.[1] She was appointed as the national general secretary
of All India Mahila Congress by Rahul Gandhi on 8 January 2019.[2]

Contents

 1Early life and education

 2Career
 3References
 4External links
Early life and education[edit]
Reddy has a BA degree in Journalism from Monash University and an MA in Broadcasting
with a special focus on Developmental Economics from the City University in London. She
was the Overseas Students Service's President at Monash University.[3]

Career[edit]
Reddy has worked with the BBC World Service, The Hindu, Commonwealth Secretariat in
London,[4] New Indian Express and Deccan Chronicle. She has written columns on topics
including consumerism, politics, celebrity lifestyles and education. She has
interviewed Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Ex PM Australia John Howard, F1
racer Michael Schumacher, AR Rahman, and Hollywood star Nicolas Cage. She has also
covered the tsunami from Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia.[5]
Reddy has had a television show in Tamil Nadu. She has also worked at the Indian
Consulate in Melbourne as a media adviser to the Consulate General, Dr. T.J. Rao.[6]
Reddy also worked briefly with UNICEF to launch a health campaign across Tamil Nadu. [7]
2356Starting in 2013,she hosted a Tamil show Natpudan Apsara which aired on Thanthi
TV.2356 In May 2016, she joined the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and holds
the position of spokesperson as of date.[8] Previously, she had joined Bharatiya Janata
Party in February 2016.[9][10][11]
She has also spoken at various high-profile platforms including the European Parliament
Session in Madrid, The World Pride Summit, UNICEF and top institutions like Goldman
Sachs, NASSCOM INDIA and even at Princeton University.
fter fighting social dogma, gender bias and many glass ceilings, K Prithika
Yashini has become the first transgender to be appointed as a police officer in
Tamil Nadu.
Prithika Yashini, who was born as Pradeep Kumar had to first fight the society
to alter identify which she succeeded after a sex change operation to become
who she believed she was from within.
Yashini attempted to achieve a next to impossible goal by applying to become a
police officer even after being fully aware of that the in police force is alleged
filled with male chauvinism.
Many couldn't even digest her bold move of applying for the force. Her
application was also rejected stating that there were only two columns under
which she can restrict her gender identity, either 'male' or 'female' but she went
ahead and filled it as 'transgender'. This led to a legal battle and finally citing a
Court order she won the battle against 'Tamil Nadu Uniform Services
Recruitment Board'.
YASHINI FAILED IN PHYSICAL TEST
Then came the physical endurance and stamina stress where she cleared every
test except the 100 meter dash where she reportedly failed by 1 second which
almost led to her disqualification. But citing discrepancy an internal unofficial
inquiry was conducted following which her name was cleared.
Yashini, then underwent physical and police officer training and on March 31
she passed out of the Tamil Nadu Police Academy at Vandalur.
Yashini took charge as sub - inspector of police at a Dharmapuri police station.
Yashini's victory is considered to be a milestone in the development of
transgenders in the country, giving the community a boost to chase their dreams.

Kriti Gupta

Updated: Jun 30, 2018, 13:59 IST

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SAVE

The Delhi High Court had decriminalised homosexuality in 2009

however, the ban was reinstated by the Supreme Court of India in
2013 under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which prohibits
gay sex deeming it "unnatural". The LGBTQ community in India
suffers oppression and humiliation due to absence of a law that
would give them equal rights.
Many of the people belonging to the transgender community are
unable to apply to jobs and educational courses of their choice
because most of the institutions do not have proper facilities to
cater to the needs of marginalised and poor communities.
Perhaps, even sky is not the limit for India’s K.Prithika Yashini
who went onto become the country’s first transgender police
officer. Yashini’s journey towards her goal was a long trail of
struggles but she came out stronger than ever before.

PHOTO: ARRE

Defeating Social Stigmas

Yashini was born as Pradeep Kumar in Tamil Nadu where she
spent a difficult childhood because she wasn’t accepted in her
own household. When she hit puberty, she realised she didn’t feel
like a boy. Her parents took her to multiple doctors, astrologers
and temples who could provide a magical solution to all her
problems. But here is the ‘problem.’ Sexual orientation and
taboos that are associated with transgenderism continues to be a
mental stigma for many Indians even if the World Health
Organization declares it to be,’no longer a ‘mental illness’’.

Yashini had to change her hometown to Chennai where she was welcomed
with open arms by members of a similar community.
In February 2015, Yashini applied to the position of a sub-inspector police
officer in Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board. However,
before she could prepare for the test, her application was rejected because
she didn’t belong to either of the categories ‘male or female’ on a piece of
paper. Yashini persistent to get the job, questioned the decision in High
Court of Madras.

Despite Supreme Court’s decision of recognising transgenders as the ‘third

gender’ in April 2014, Yashini had to fight for an entire year before the
courts ruled in her favour. She aced all the physical tests starting from
sprints to high and long jumps. Even after she lost the 100 metre sprint
race by a second, the courts were determined to hire her and in November
2015, Yashini became India’s first transgender police officer.
Recalling her time at the Neelambal Higher Secondary School, Yashini
tells Arre,“I always had feminine habits.I played games that girls play, and
preferred being with girls over boys.It got so bad that at one point I couldn’t
use either the male or female toilets.”

Declaring Her Sexual Orientation

She waited to tell the truth to her parents till she was a computer science
graduate. When she opened up, they went into a state of shock.
Repression of emotions made Yashini’s heart heavy. She decided to make
a life of her own and so she took up a small job as a warden at a women’s
hostel. That was just the stepping stone and since then there has been no
turning back. She undertook her own transition when she underwent six
months of intensive counselling, tests, and hormone therapy at the Kilpauk
Medical Hospital. “The desire to be a woman was more than the fear of
pain” she told Arre while describing her four hour long surgery.
Apart from being a police officer by profession,she is also an app
developer. She helps other transgenders to cope up with their identity. She
has not only made history by becoming India’s first transgender police
officer but she also became the flag bearer for the inclusion of
‘Transgender’ option under the ‘Gender category’ in all recruitment forms in
Tamil Nadu.
Joyita Mondal is the first transgender judge of a Lok Adalat and a social worker from West
Bengal, India.[1][2][3]

Early life[edit]
Mondal comes from a traditional Hindu household and suffered a lot of discrimination in her
childhood because of her gender identity. She dropped out of school after class 10th, slept
at bus stands and begged on streets.[2][3][4]
She moved to Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district and worked for the upliftment of the
transgender community. Simultaneously, she also completed her studies through
correspondence and got a degree in law. In 2010, she was the first trans person from her
district to get a voter ID.[2]
Mondal also started her own organisation, Dinajpur Notun Alo (Dinajpur New Light), that is
currently reaching out to and helping thousands of people in her district. [5]

Career[edit]
Mondal is a member of the transgender community and used to work for the welfare and
development of the community. In 2015, Mondal was involved with others in setting up a
home for older people who were HIV positive and forming patients' welfare committees. [1][2][6]
On July 8, 2017, 29-year old Mondal became the first transgender judge of a Lok Adalat
from West Bengal, India. She attended office as judge of a Lok Adalat at Islampur in the
North Dinajpur, where some of her first cases involved the recovery of loans made by
banks.[1][7][6]

References

Born in a traditional Hindu household in West Bengal, Joyita Mondal suffered

a lot of discrimination owing to her being a trans person. She had to drop out
of school, sleep at a bus stand, and beg on the streets. It no longer bothers
her though, because all of it has contributed to who she is today — India's first
transgender judge. Now 29, Joyita was born 'Joyonto' (male) in Kolkata.
Unable to conform to the gender norms imposed on her, she dropped out of
school after class X. Recalling that period, in an interview with Women’s
eNews, she said, “I didn’t tell my family that I was unable to take the verbal
bullying by other boys in my school. I just told my mother I had got a job in
Dinajpur, a neighbouring district in the state, and wanted to go there. I told her
that I would come back in two months if things didn’t work out, and she
consented.” Image: (L) – Women eNews (R) – Facebook However, Joyita
came to Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district and never went back. In the initial
years, apart from attending functions as a hijra, she also worked for the rights
of trans people. Over time, she started working for the rights of anyone and
everyone facing any kind of social discrimination. Simultaneously, she also
completed her studies through correspondence and got herself a degree in
law. In 2010, she was the first trans person from her district to get a voter ID.
A few years ago, Joyita started her organisation, Dinajpur Notun Alo Society,
that is currently reaching out to and helping thousands of people in her district.
Despite all the feats she has achieved now, the fact that she had to sleep at a
bus stand as hotels did not allow her to take rooms is still a sour memory.
Image: The New Indian Express Almost 10 years after she walked out of her
house in Kolkata, Joyita was appointed the judge of a Lok Adalat (civil court)
this July. This court is only minutes away from the bus stand she used to
spend nights at just a few years ago. Talking about the way forward, to The
New Indian Express, she said, "All governments want to appoint one person
from a weaker community to a top post so that voices of others of the
community are muffled. I would not let that happen. Even if two–three percent
of transgenders in Islampur get dignified jobs, I would consider my
appointment beneficial for my community. They would not have to work as sex
workers for Rs 150–200 and can have a good sleep at night. Even now, as I
move around in air-conditioned cars, my people beg during the day and work
as sex workers at night." Do you have an interesting story to share? Please
write to us at tci@yourstory.com. To stay updated with more positive news,
please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Read more at: https://yourstory.com/2017/10/first-transgender-judge-india