Promoting inclusivity: Tamil Nadu to induct 50 transgenders into home guard services
Officials from the Tamil Nadu transgender welfare board said selected members will undergo training in traffic management, crowd control, and assisting in emergencies such as floods, including rescue and relief operations.
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In the first phase, 50 transgender individuals will be selected and deployed in Chennai, Avadi, and Tambaram. They will be provided uniforms on a par with other home guard personnel, officials said, adding that the first batch will join within a month.
However, members of the community stressed the need for sustained support beyond symbolic gestures. A transgender priest from Old Washermenpet, known as Ravi 'Amma', said the previous efforts lacked continuity.
"Sensitisation within govt departments is essential to ensure we are treated with dignity. Social support must also be strengthened," she said.
She recalled how Greater Chennai Corporation had appointed ten transgender individuals as clean ambassadors under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), but most eventually quit due to poor acceptance within the departments.
In a broader push for trans rights and welfare, the govt on Sunday also announced a revamp of the state's transgender welfare board, which will now include 28 members — among them transgender women, a trans man, an intersex person, and a woman.
The board oversees pensions, business subsidies, education aid, ID cards, and skill training for the community. The monthly pension for destitute transgender persons above 40 years has been increased from 1,000 to 1,500, with 3 crore allocated for 1,760 beneficiaries in the 2025–26 financial year.
During the second wave of Covid-19, more than 17,000 transgender persons without family cards received financial aid totaling 3.4 crore. More than 10,000 individuals have used the state's "Thirunangai" app to access ID services. Additionally, more than 800 people have availed self-employment subsidies of up to 50,000 each.
Education aid and a 1 lakh annual award also continue to support empowerment and public recognition.
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