Running up the hill: 50 Bengaluru transgenders to participate in Nandi Hillathon

Bengaluru: About 50 transgenders will join the Nandi Hillathon on Sunday to save the neighborhoods of Bengaluru city. In fact, this will be the first time transgenders as a community will come out to join a public campaign in such large numbers.

Initiated by the NGO United Way Bengaluru, it is an annual city fundraising event ‘for the people and by the people’ where each neighborhood is raising funds to preserve its locality for a variety of causes, including rejuvenation of lakes and parks, protection of historical monuments, improving public spaces, cleaning up the environment and raising the level of community education, health and livelihood.

Latha, a transgender who will be participating in the event and has worked for organizations like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Injection Drug Users - Prevention for AIDS, and actively supports various causes like Awareness of HIV , Prevention of TB, Drug abuse says, “We are really pepped up to take part in the event. Besides promoting the cause of the walk we also aim to create awareness among the people about transgenders. We are hoping to change the perception of people towards our community.”

Interestingly, most of them have been preparing hard for the final day. She says, “In order to keep up with other participants our people have engaging in regular walks and exercise. Some of us will walk and some will run, whatever suits them.” The tracks will have earthen pots of water instead of plastic bottles to motivate people to follow environment-friendly practices. An organizer from the event said, “Bengaluru sure is growing every year with all its technological advancements, but what also needs to be taken care of is a sustainable environment for the future. There have been a lot of conversations in the media over the dying lakes of Bengaluru, increasing toxicity in these lakes and shortage of water. A city which was once called the garden city has lost its green cover by 85 per cent. With such an extreme decline in the sustenance of our city’s environment, it sure is time to get united and rejuvenate our ecosystem.”

The event will start from Chickkaballapur at 7am.