Thiruvananthapuram: As part of its effort to bring the transgender community to the mainstream, the Social Justice Department is planning to host an exclusive art festival for the community in the state. According to official sources, the state capital will host the event - titled ‘Varnapakitt-2019’ – in October.
The main objective of the event would be to provide a platform for the marginalised group to showcase their talents and skills. “Kerala is the first state in the country to come up with a transgender policy. Because of the various welfare schemes rolled out by the government, the community is receiving acceptance among the public. Last year we planned for this art festival and the government even approved it. But because of the floods, we had to drop it. This year too we proposed the fest and the government gave the nod,” said the official.
The official said that such events would help create more acceptance among the general public. “This event is being organised by the Social Justice Department. Also, many of them in the community is talented,” said the official. The authorities have kicked off district level screening across the state to shortlist the talents to take part in the event.
“We will be able to finalise the venue by next week. Our plan is to hold the event on October 26,27. The dates are tentative. We are trying for a more public venue so that the public would be able to witness it,” said the official.
The department is also planning to hold a national seminar in connection with the festival. “We are planning to bring in transgender activists from across the country to handle sessions. The main aim is to educate the public,” said the official. The department is also planning to institute an award for excellence in various social fields except for cinema.
