Tamil Nadu becomes the first state in the country to prepare an official glossary to address LGBTQIA+ community

With the Tamil Nadu government becoming the first state in the country to prepare an official glossary for the terms to be used while addressing LGBTQIA+ people, the community has, by and large, welcomed the decision of the government. However, there are some voices who say that there are some issues to be resolved.
The glossary was prepared by the state government after Justice Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court had in December 2021 directed the state government to come out with a glossary of Tamil and English words and expressions to address members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
L. Ramakrishnan of SAATHI, a NGO working among the transpeople, told media persons that the community did not recognize the earlier glossary prepared by the Tamil Nadu government as most of the words used were from archaic Tamil literature. He said that later they came up with their own words in the glossary and now 85% of the terms suggested by the community members are there.
He said, "Some issues still persist. For example, we had suggested the term, "Thirunangai" to address transwomen, and 'Thirunambi' means transman. However, the glossary uses the word 'amaruviya palinar', which means a person who has changed gender.
Ramakrishnan told media persons that the community members are not happy with this suggestion as an earlier court verdict states that a person should be considered transgender regardless of whether they have transitioned or not.
The term 'amaruviya palinar' applies to only those who have transitioned.
He said that the government glossary refers to the national Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights ) Act as Thirunangiagal Urimai Paathukaapu Sattam. Ramakrishnan said that 'Thiruvangai' means transwomen, while the Act is for all transgender persons, including transwomen and transmen.
Researcher and writer Nadika Nadja, who identifies herself as a transwoman and who has contributed to the glossary, welcomed the government bringing out a glossary, the first of its kind in the country. However, she told reporters that some new terms were problematic.
She said, 'thiravunilai paalina adayalam' was used to refer to gender fluid people, whose self-perceived gender identity exists as a dynamic thing and is not a binary one. She said that the present term is 'nilayatra palinam', which means unstable people. Nadja said that while the first term was a political statement about socially constructed gender binaries, the present one addresses gender fluid people as unstable, which was offensive.
However, by and large, the trans community has welcomed the decision to bring out the glossary.