Trans, anti-caste, and Black rights activists who came together for a conference in Chennai on Saturday, November 9 spoke on the overlaps between these identities and the need for structural — not token — change. The conference, titled Trans Power 2024, was organised by the Trans Rights Now Collective (TRNC), a Dalit and trans-led initiative founded by well-known activist Grace Banu.
Grace’s book Palesthina Paravai (The Palestinian Bird) was also launched at the event by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president and Chidambaram MP Thol Thirumavalavan. The book, published by Grace’s Thirunangai Press, is a journal-like record of her visit to London where she witnessed student protests for Palestine. The two-day event will end on November 10 with more speakers.
Qween Jean, New York City-based costume designer, trans rights activist, and founder of the mutual aid collective Black Trans Liberation, delivered the keynote address saying “trans power is my sword and my shield.” She added that Black Trans Liberation was carrying on the work of previous trans rights movements and leaders like Marsha P Johnson whose “spiritual daughter” Qween Jean considers herself.
“Our human rights will not be discarded. We demand a society and protections that are seated in permanence and not convenience,” Qween Jean said in her powerful keynote address. “Any system, any leader, any policy that offers us conditional freedom, I called that a conditional trap. We are not interested in one-time service. We are not interested in performance. What we want is permanent change.”
Qween Jean added, “All through history, powerful leaders have merged powers like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, Black Panther Party. What we see is that their fundamental actions of love were ultimately targeted. They were dismantled. People power is greater than corruption, greater than capitalism. These leaders mobilised, they took to the streets. They created a way for us to have sanctuaries. That is something that I am grateful for as we can create more sanctuaries.” She also spoke on the legacies of queer and feminist leaders such Marsha Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and Nina Simone.
The activist spoke out in solidarity with Palestine as well. “In this moment we are witnessing truly severe genocide. I’m not afraid or ashamed to call for a Free Palestine,” she said, adding, “When we say ‘Free Palestine’, there is a confirmation of love. A confirmation of purpose. By freeing Palestine, we are also freeing trans people. We are also freeing Black people. We are also freeing women. We are freeing ourselves from the chains and shackles that have kept us in isolation. They want to keep us in the dark. But today I stand right here, in the sun, for trans liberation. We together will not be stopped. Our liberation will never end.”
Pointing to the displacement and people being forced to take refuge in tents amid food scarcity in Palestine, Qween Jean stated, “We ourselves have had similar experiences of being cast out. Of being pushed out and demonised for just existing. This is something we will always stand in solidarity with. Our trans power will look like and be the same for the people living in Gaza. For people living in Sudan. For people living in Congo. In New York City. And here in India. There is liberation for all of us. No bigotry or evil ruler can suppress what we are growing and cultivating.”
The second keynote speaker was Thirumavalavan. Speaking on the topic ‘Ambedkar’s vision and horizontal reservation for trans persons’, he said, “We are fighting for reservation for different social groups and in different sectors, but we are not bothered about trans persons. This is a great injustice. A man cannot speak about the pain of women. A non-Dalit person cannot understand the pain of Dalits. Similarly, people who are not transgender cannot speak for them. For non-Dalits to understand the fights of Dalits, there must be Dalit-led organisations. For men to understand the struggles of women, women must have representation in politics. For cis gender people to understand the problems of trans people, there must be politicised trans-led organisations.”
Other speakers at the event included activist Olga Aaron, intersex activist and secretary of AMIGOS Trans Collective Kerala Aanandh CR, Thirunangai Press director Swetha U, founder of Tamil Nadu Transmen Foundation Sonesh Kumar, founder and president of Tamil Nadu Trans Society A Aruna, director of Neela Nira Sooriyan Samyuktha Vijayan, and a northeast India representative from the National Council for Transgender Persons Rituparna Neog.
Officials who attended and spoke at the event included Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, film director and wife of Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tiruvallur MP Sasikanth Senthil, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) Inspector General of Police Lalitha Lakshmi. They spoke on the inclusion of trans persons in higher education; law and judicial systems; cinema; economy; climate justice; creating inclusive learning spaces at grassroots levels, and changes in family perspectives on trans identities.