When Grace Banu was in high school, she came out to the world as transgender. The discrimination she faced from her school and lack of acceptance from her family didn't deter her from the course she charted for herself. 'I had to enter and leave school very early, without encountering any students or teachers. I wasn't allowed inside the classrooms, and instead would study under the trees. My parents put me in a mental asylum. It was a long, hard battle, but in 2014, I got admission into Anna University to study engineering. Today, I'm India's first trans person engineer.'
Today, Grace is a writer and also the Founding Director of Trans Rights Now Collective (TRNC). She is India's leading trans rights and Dalit activist. TRNC works with trans people from the rural areas, who don't have access to basic human rights like education and employment. They offer training and opportunity for these marginalised communities to participate in the mainstream space, their priority being Dalit Adivasi Bahujan transpersons.
'Particularly in the education and employment sectors, trans people face so many issues, so much discrimination and so much oppression in the name of caste and gender. It is very difficult to secure a job and the financial struggles are hard. Finding a home on rent, or even an office space is very challenging.' Grace was a petitioner of the case that brought about a positive judgement from the Madras High Court in 2012, which allows trans people to participate in the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission Examinations. 'That was the turning point for us. Since then, we have had the NALSA judgements, Transgender Protection Act, and the Transgender Persons Protection Bill. But, we are still fighting for separate reservations for trans persons.'
She firmly believes that education is the strongest tool to uplift her community. TRNC has had many success stories - the first trans sub inspector of police, first trans engineer, first trans nursing college student, first trans medical college student, trans persons participating in the Tamil Nadu Police Recruitment Board, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission and UPSC examinations. 'For more than 70 years, we have been begging and carrying on sex work. Society should break their silence and share their solidarity with us. The government and society focus on welfare of trans people, but rights are completely different. We should have health rights, reservation rights, education rights, employment rights, the right to participate in politics. Welfare won't help uplift the trans community. Giving them the same rights as everyone else is the original solution to uplift them.'