Pre and post-operative transsexuals in the southern Indian city of Chennai are to get their own public toilets in an effort to boost recognition of the community, a report said yesterday.
Three toilets are to be built to cater for the sizeable transgender population as part of a pilot project that will begin after the upcoming general elections, the English-language Indian Express newspaper said.
Municipal commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni was quoted as saying that the scheme was aimed at "extending recognition to the community and mainstreaming them" and more facilities could be built if the public responded well to the idea.
But it has drawn a mixed response from the transgender community itself.
"I don't agree with this. We want to mingle with the mainstream. We don't want to be separated like this," said Aasha Bharati, president of the Aravanigal Association in Tamil Nadu state.
"Using separate toilets will open the way for discrimination. We want to be considered as females. In our hearts, we are women."
India's first transgender television host, Rose Venkatesan, was more positive. She said: "It is a big problem, because not everyone has undergone a sex change.
"This is a good idea but in the long run, I see a society where there is no difference and all use the same toilets."
There are about 30,000 transgendered people in Tamil Nadu state and there are thought to be about 500,000 across India.
昨日有报道称，印度南部城市钦奈计划为将要和已经变性的人群修建专用公厕，以提高对这一群体的认可度。
据印度英文报《印度快报》报道，该计划是即将开始的印度全国大选后启动的一个试点项目之一，届时将为该市数量可观的变性人群建造三个专用公厕。
该报援引钦奈市政委员Rajesh Lakhoni的话说，该计划旨在“扩大对该群体的认可并使他们融入主流社会”，如果公众对此反应良好，今后还会建造更多此类设施。
但来自变性人群体自身的反应则褒贬不一。
泰米尔纳德邦变性人协会主席Aasha Bharati说：“我不赞成这一计划。我们想与主流人群融合，不希望被这样分离开来。”
“使用独立的厕所将会为歧视提供条件。我们希望被看作女性。在我们自己看来，我们就是女人。”
印度首位变性电视主持人Rose Venkatesan的看法则更为积极。她说：“这是个重大的问题，因为并不是每个人都是变性人。”
“这个想法很好，但从长远来看，我希望我们的社会将消除差别，我们能与主流人群使用同样的厕所。”
泰米尔纳德邦共有约3万变性人，印度全国共有约50万人
Vocabulary:
open the way for:为……创造条件