Transgender Beauty Pageant Held In Kochi As A Step Towards Inclusivity And Breaking Stereotypes
- 16 Jun 2017
- Sunaya
- Features
The exclusive beauty pageant for transgenders was a success with many prominent names in attendance!
The transgender community in Kerala have been making great strides towards progress and inclusivity. Their activities have attracted attention from around the nation, and has driven the state to progress. Queen of Dhwayah-2017, a pageant exclusively for the transgender community came to an end yesterday at Cial convention centre. The event was attended by a huge crowd with many celebrities in attendance as well.
The Pageant was won by Shyama, from Trivandrum who holds an MED and is planning to pursue her PhD as well. Professional dancer, Jaz D’souza from Mumbai came out as the first runner up for the event, followed by Harini Chandana, who is a stage actress by profession.
The show was hailed as a way to bring the transgender community to the mainstream. With Kerala at the forefront of bringing inclusivity to the third gender and giving them equal opportunity, the pageant was a success in more ways than one.
The participants for the event was as diverse and real as they could get. They brought out the troubles and issues faced by the community in a way that brought it to the mainstream media. Even with a MED, due to discriminatory practices still prevalent in the state, one of the contestants couldn’t find a job. With issues like this, the Government's initiatives are much appreciated. From employing 23 transgenders for the Metro, to putting together a state-level transgenders' board to address the issues faced by the community in the state, the policies come as encouragement and a validation to the fact that we are headed in the right direction.
The event was kicked off a little before May, with auditions held in over 3 cities, Kochi, Kollam, and Kozhikode. Around 40 people showed up, out of which 15 were selected for the Pageant. With many prominent names in attendance, the last round of the Pageant was an exciting event. The event was judged by celebrities including Parvathy Omanakuttan, Miss India 2008 and Ranjini Haridas. Ramya Nambeesan, Pearle Maaney, Rimi Tomy, Shamna Kasim, and CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan were also seen in attendance.
Text: Susmitha Suresh Photos: Aghil Menon
