Trans, LGBT+ Communities Mark Christmas With Call for More Jobs

Hyderabad: Members of the transgender and LGBT+ communities rendered carols and took part in a pre-Christmas celebration here on Monday. Community members expressed happiness over the Revanth Reddy government’s initiative to create job opportunities for them.

Speaking to this correspondent, they urged the government to offer more employment openings, noting that the size of the community was large and opportunities remained limited.

Soni and Lipsi said that despite being qualified, many firms were still hesitant to employ members of their community. “As discrimination is slowly fading, more people are coming forward to openly state their identity,” they said.

Nana, Pinky and Suri said society had begun to accept their community, but added that greater acceptance was still needed. “Our presence is required in all fields. For years, we have been crushed by social evils,” they said.

The celebrations saw a large turnout and included transgender persons, men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers and lesbians, all of whom gathered under one roof.

Jacob Chinnappa, organiser of the event, said the idea was to bring together a community that has long been deprived of opportunities. “We wanted to create a space for celebration, fellowship and joy, and everyone enjoyed the true spirit of Christmas,” he said.

Delivering the Christmas message, Rev. Sis. Joy Cherian highlighted the importance of extending love and care to those often overlooked by society. She recalled Jesus Christ’s sacrifice as an act of boundless love and urged the gathering to uphold compassion and brotherhood.

The programme concluded with the distribution of Christmas gifts, followed by interactions among community members.