For the first time in Kerala, the 'third gender' will vote under their own gender category, for next coming local body elections in November.

 

TheTimes of India reports that 82 transgender people have successfully found their names in the newly released voters' list.

The State Election commission has said that this is a landmark move and that other states can follow Kerala.

 

“The election commission had taken steps to include a space for voters belonging to the third gender from the very beginning of preparing the electoral roll. The `other gender' option given in the electoral roll form was specially designed to include transgender people. This is a landmark step taken by Kerala election commission“, state election commissioner K Sasidharan told TOI.

According to the report highest numbers of transgender voters are from Ernakulam with 18 people, followed by Thrissur which has 13 voters.

 

Except Pathanamthitta all other 13 districts have got transgender voters this time.

 

Transgender activists consider this as a positive move from a state like Kerala which was one of the least third-gender-friendly states.

“The actual number of transgender population in Kerala will be around 10,000. But at least 82 persons had the courage to express their gender identity," Tamil-Nadu based transgender activist Kalki Subramaniam told TOI.