After becoming the first state in the country to announce a transgender policy, Kerala is now a beacon on the Queer map of the country. Today the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram hosted the first legal transsexual wedding in the state.
33-year-old Ishan K Shaan tied the knot with 31-year-old Surya at the Mannam Memorial National Club with the blessings of both their families. Over 400 LGBTQ community members were also present at the function which was attended by noted figures like Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Mayor V K Prashant.
Belonging to two different religions was not a hurdle for the lovers who decided to register under the Special Marriage Act to be together. Surya—one of the first trans persons in the state to come out into the public sphere in the year 2000—is a TV actor and member of the State Board for Transgender Justice.
“Surya has always played a lead role within the community, doing charity and adoptions for the people. This is definitely a big step in the mobilisation of the community,” says Prijith P K, the secretary of the LGBTQ organisation Queerythm of which Suya is a member.
Ishan is also a recognised member of the fraternity as a part of the District Board for Transgender Justice and Treasurer of Oasis, a collective for transgenders.