Sahodari Foundation

We at Sahodari Foundation continue to celebrate Pride month with Queer Art exhibition at Coimbatore. Artists from the community showcased their powerful works of art that speak on gender, sexuality, freedom and various issues faced by the #LGBTQIA+ community. Read the story. https://lnkd.in/g9grpAeS

Happy Pride month from all of us at Sahodari Foundation 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈.

Our founder Kalki Subramaniam participated and spoke at the Climate Asia Annual Conference. Check the images and the write up to know more.

The Red Wall Project is an initiative by the Sahodari Foundation, which is dedicated to the welfare of the LGBTQI community. Spearheaded by Kalki Subramaniam, the project aims to spotlight the abuse, hardship, and discrimination faced by members of the community across India. It serves as a platform for individuals to express their experiences, particularly regarding sexual and physical abuse, through art and testimonials. The project involves an art exhibition that curates these testimonials and paintings, providing a collective voice and raising awareness about the challenges faced by transgender persons. The testimonials often include the individuals' palm impressions in red, symbolizing their personal stories and struggles. Kalki activist and founder of the Sahodari Foundation, describes the Red Wall Project as a community art project that uses art to express the needs and experiences of transpersons. The project has grown significantly, starting with about 100 testimonials and now featuring around 500 in different languages as part of the collective oeuvre¹. The Red Wall Project is not just an exhibition but a growing movement to bring the realities of the transgender community to the forefront and to initiate dialogue and change. #Theredwallproject #Redwallproject #resistsexualabuse #translivesmatter

At Sahodari Foundation, we celebrated the Transgender Day with games, gifts and lots of laughter. It was an evening of together celebrating our identities and achievements. From Dhana (name changed) who lives with HIV to Nilamma who is nearing 70 yet defies age and continues to successfully practice her catering business, everyone enjoyed the evening. The love we have for each other is more than friendship. It encompasses understanding, empathy and compassion. Sahodari Foundation continues to touch underprivileged transgender persons lives through continuous support for their education and entrepreneurial initiative. We strive to empower them a life away from begging and sexwork. Everyone deserves respect and transgender people certianly do. Happy transgender day today and forever. 🌞❤️🏳️⚧️.

We celebrate the Transgender Community today, tomorrow and everyday 🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️.

On 15th April 2014, the Supreme court of India legally recognised the transgender community. since then the trans community has been moving upwards towards achieving social inclusion economic freedom and education. Today on April 15, 2024, I look back at the 10 years since achieving the mind stone victory. as an activist and a voice of the community, I have worked intensely with the former chief justice of India late Altamas Kabir sir and other advocates and judiciary for this achievement. I know that is still long long way to go before achieving equality and a discrimination free world, and a society. but I am not tired. I am strong and continue to do activism as enthusiastic and committed as the day 20 years ago how I started. I am celebrating today with our community on our achievements. and I salute those voices and people who have stood with us and are standing with us. I recognise the allies and supporters who continue to hold us strong, who empathize and recognise the opportunities that we deserve. Thanks to all the organisations, government bodies, corporates, academic Institutions and media houses who continue to support the transgender community in India. Happy Transgender Day 2024🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️. #transgender #pride #pride2024 #transandproud #lgbtqi

I first met Sandhiya in Saidapet in Chennai in 2008. She was a shy and fragile transgirl who was begging from shop to shop collecting money for her basic needs of survival. Rejected by her biological family for her transgender identity, she was thrown out of her home at the age of 15. Heartbroken but not losing hope, she then worked in a tea shop washing tumblers and utensils. Life had been hard for that young child. Unable to face the hardships of life, she began to beg in shops. She did that for years to survive. Since she was a school drop out, when I first met her, I tried to convince her to pursue her education. She wasn't interested in formal education. I took her under my wings, taught her activism and social work, introduced video production, fine art and performance art, and facilitated with opportunities to support her livelihood. I took her to travel with me to get the exposure of life and the world which, I believe, gave her confidence and understanding. Meanwhile she fell in love, got married and settled with a guy. I thought that marriage will bring her security, but it did not last long and she got separated in a few years. She continues to work with the Sahodari Foundation. A few years ago, she united with her family, a long wish fulfilled. Still she chose to live independently and took her aged mother who is blind to live with her. She always wanted to own a car, drive it as a taxi making her livelihood through it. It may be a long dream but an achievable one. But for now, she grabbed the opportunity to own an auto rickshaw with the aid of the Tamilnadu government facilitated by the THAA organization. The government helped her with one lakh subsidy and she needs to pay the rest of two lakhs in 3 years as EMI. She now rides the streets of Chennai in her auto rickshaw proudly. Her courage and resilience makes me proud. Sahodari Foundation, our organization has transformed her life. I would say with pride that I had shaped her into an unshakeable human being. She is a family to me, a younger sister indeed and I am proud of her. 31 March is Transgender Day of Visibility, a day to celebrate the pride of our community. #storiesofpride #transandproud #TDoV #TrangenderDayofVisibility #transgender #inspiration #motivation

After being appointed as the South Regional representative and member of the National Council for Trans Persons (NCTP), I was invited by the Ministry of Social Justice, Govt of India for the first meeting. The first meeting of the NCTP was held at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. Some of the points I had briefed to the officials at the meeting were as follows: a) The waiting period to get the transgender identity card is now 45 days. It must be reduced to 14 days. b) The government has announced the issuance of the TG Plus Health Insurance Card in 2022 but there has been a delay of more than an year in the issuance of the health card. The card will be immensely helpful for the transgender community's medical needs. Steps should be taken for issuance of the TG Plus Insurance Card as soon as possible. c) There has to be a series of sensitization programs offered to the officials of the ministries and government departments about issues of the transgender community. This will create an understanding and speed up the work for the community's empowerment. d) Such programs on inclusion should be conducted by the transgender community activists and leaders and the organizations with the government support. e) Education, entrepreneurship and health should be some of the important aspects that the ministry should focus immediately for the transgender community's welfare. #inclusion #govtofindia #transgender #Msje