ration cards and human rights

Turns out this is not a new proposal and that Tamil Nadu under the previous government had already made provisions for Aravaanis to receive ration cards. Nevertheless, the news item did help bring concerns of transgendered people to public notice in a non-judgemental and non-patronizing way. And I liked the professionalism of the reporter, who readily obliged my request and ran my quotes by me before publishing the note.

The larger issue of transphobia and discrimination is not going to be addressed by such measures, I suspect. For anyone interested in learning more, I heartily recommend PUCL's 2003 report of human rights violations against the trans community in Bangalore, which may be downloaded from Professor Lynn Conway's site at the University of Michigan, or obtained from Sangama in Bangalore.