Image Courtesy: Aishwarya Rituparna Pradhan

In an event that exemplifies how constitutional acceptance of a minority community emancipates the individual, an Odisha government officer has recently come out in public with her transgender identity.

Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan, 32, is posted as a Commercial Tax Officer in Paradip Port township. She has recently filed an affidavit before an executive magistrate for modification of her name and gender in official records and expects to be conferred with a transgender classification shortly.

Hailing from a village in Kandhamal district, Pradhan had initially faced disapproval regarding her transgender identity from family and friends. However, now everyone has started accepting her in her new avatar.

Pradhan said that April 15, 2014 Supreme Court ruling recognizing transgenders under the third-gender category and guaranteeing their constitutional rights was the key factor behind her decision to come out in public with her true gender identity.

Pradhan’s brave confession is definitely an instance of the positive impact of the new transgender policies that India has started adopting. Pradhan has displayed an inspiring feat of standing up for one’s true identity, and will be an inspiration for many who are still subdued by societal pressure.

The Logical Indian hopes that our legal and social structures will soon begin accepting every individual belonging to the LGBT community and confer upon them the dignity and equality they deserve.