An interactive session with the transgender community

On Tuesday, the 24th of September. ‘Abhaya’, the ‘Womens’ Forum’ organised an interactive session with the transgender community. The resource person of the program was RJ Kajal, Radio Jokey at Radio Sarang, run at St Aloysius College, Mangaluru. She was accompanied by Sheila Diamond, member of the transgender community.

The program began with a prayer song by the students followed by a welcome address by Pallavi, then a small clip featuring the resource person RJ Kajal was shown depicting her opinions on the discrimination made against the community and her journey. The other dignitaries on the dais were Principal Sr Norine DSouza, Vice Principal Sr Janet Sequeira, and Dr Trssie Menezes the coordinator of Abhaya.

The resource person addressed the gathering and spoke on wide ranging topics right from her life to her transformation to the stigma surrounding society about the transgender community and steps that can be taken by authorities concerned to ensure that the community is not excluded and build a loving and harmonious society.

RJ Kajal shared her life experience and the hardships she had to face while dealing with gender identity crisis. RJ Kajal has gone a long way to prove herself and establish her independent identity and today she is successful person in life.

She also made a mention of the people who had thoroughly supported her and helped her to be what she is today. Her address was followed by an interactive session with a group of students and the audience. RJ Kajal expressed her desire to serve the country and expressed that the government has not done anything in providing equal opportunities to the transgender community in the job sector. RJ Kajal is an inspiration to all and especially her community to come out, fight the taboo in the society and achieve something in life.

Vote of thanks was proposed by Niyatha and the programme was compered by Mary Roopa.