Tiruchy Private School To Construct First Hostel For Transgender Students

A private school in Tiruchy is all set to build the first hostel for transgender students. This hostel will be exclusively built for children with non-confirmed gender. At the cost of Rs 32 lakhs, the hostel will be built in the campus of Sri Sivananda Balalaya School in Somarasampettai. The Rotary Club of Tiruchy - Shakthi will help in building this hostel.

Targeting adolescent students this hostel will welcome students from across the country. The initial capacity of the hostel will be 40 students.  The construction of this building is expected to be completed within two years, until January 2020. Foundation stone for the hostel will be laid on Saturday.

“Many such students, in the age group of 13-17, are chased out of homes. This is when hormonal changes happen and parents find out they are different from other children.”

Accepting all the genders

While talking about this positive initiative taken by the school authorities, the school correspondent Major General NRK Babu advocated acceptance for LGBTQ children. Explaining the situation behind the discrimination, Babu said, “Many such students, in the age group of 13-17, are chased out of homes. This is when hormonal changes happen and parents find out they are different from other children.” Adding further he said, “It's mainly due to societal pressure. The primary reason parents take such an extreme step is because they feel they cannot explain the situation to their relatives and society. Several Trans persons we meet on roads, they have faced the same plight.” The New Indian Express reported.

Now parents don't have to worry about such things as the school is coming up with this service. “The motive is to provide children with a safe learning environment and a platform to succeed. The school is also planning to provide counselling for such students to deal with societal issues. A lot of students tend to lose their careers at this juncture because they have no support. We want to help them prove they are not less than any other children, “ said the school's spokesperson Babu.

The school also plans to start an awareness campaign for the parents. “We are planning to enrol students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Students from any part of the country are welcome. Soon, we will launch an awareness campaign to reach out to parents,” said the school authority.

Read Also: TISS To Start Hostel For Gender Non-Conforming, Transgender Students

The LGBT and child welfare activists have encouraged this step by the Sri Sivananda Balalaya School. “We welcome this move and this can be a good platform for children to continue pursuing education."

A step towards gender equality

The LGBT and child welfare activists have encouraged this step by the Sri Sivananda Balalaya School. “We welcome this move and this can be a good platform for children to continue pursuing education. Several cases of parents not accepting their children have been reported, we hope this facility can change the trend,” said P Mohana Ammal Nayak, Director of All Indian Aravanigal Right and Rehabilitation Centre.

Expressing concern for proper awareness programs, Murali Karthik of Sevai-ChildLine said, “We appreciate the move. But the utmost importance needs to be given for awareness, as people and children need to know that such a facility exists. Else it will fail to help them.”

This will help the adolescent students to understand and accept their sexuality without any pressure. It will provide them a secure environment to grow confident.

Read Also: DCW Sets Up Transgender Cell To Resolve Discrimination Cases

Divya Tripathi is an intern with SheThePeople.TV