Garima Greh- Chennai

A first-of-its-kind shelter home for transgenders has opened at Periyar Nagar in Chennai. This home has been set up by the Transgender Rights Association, a community-based organisation, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the National Institute of Social Defense. 

Apart from providing them with food and shelter, the organisation would also be offering transgenders training programmes according to their areas of interest. Each person is permitted to stay up to one year. 

R Jeeva Rangaraj, the founder and trustee of the Transgender Rights Association, said as many as 25 persons can be accommodated in this shelter house. “This is our 10-year-dream. We wanted a secure place for us, we wanted to break the stigma associated with our community members. We placed our request before the Central Government, and they have now opened the shelter in Chennai. We are thankful to both the state and central governments. We are furthermore happy that the place was inaugurated in the Chief Minister’s constituency. The objective of the shelter is to make all transmen and transwomen self-reliant,” Jeeva said.