Kerala Is Organising India’s First State-Level Transgender Sports Meet

Kerala — although the state goes by its Tourism Board’s nomenclature ‘God’s Own Country’, in our books Kerala vies for the title of the most progressive state in India. The state has persistently worked to include transgenders in all aspects of society. For one, the Kerala State Literacy Mission is working to bring the LGBTQ community a better education, as many in it have abandoned study due to discrimination. Moreover, this February’s Gender-Neutral football tournament was a wonderful display of people of all genders and sexes enjoying the beautiful game of footy together. However, perhaps one of the most significant movements by the state to ‘bring the transgender community into the mainstream’ will be the State-Level Transgender Athletics meet, to be held on April 28 at the Central Stadium in Palayam.

This track and field meet is said to feature events, such as 100m, 200m and 400m sprints, relays, as well as field competitions, like, shot put and long jump. According to event coordinator Anil Arjunan’s comments to The Times of India India, India’s first transgender sports meet will host 20 participants from each of Kerala’s districts. Before the athletic competition kicks off the event will host a three-day warm up complete with coaching for participants. Whether intentional or not, this period will give members of Kerala’s transgender community the chance to interact with one another and better realise that even though their community is often marginalised, their community is not small in numbers or talent.

Even though the spotlight should be focused on the transgender community, it is important to state that the official patrons for the event will include Chief Minister Pinarayi, Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs A C Moideen, Tourist Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Mayor VK Prasanth. We mention their scheduled appearance as a hopeful indicator that government officials will begin to support many of the side-lined citizens they have shunned in the past. Perhaps next year more states will follow suit and better integrate their constituents, after all, it is their job to work for them, whether they like it or not.

Feature Image Representational and Courtesy of indianaathletics.in