Hyderabad trans community sells pickles for living, strives to be self-reliant

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 12 (ANI): To support themselves amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, a group of transwomen in Hyderabad are preparing and sell pickles and other eatables for a living.
According to Jasmine, the President of the Trans Equality Society, the idea of making pickles and being self-reliant came after people in the transgender community shared their experiences of discrimination and ill-treatment.

"I came out as trans 20 years ago and many people asked me why I was like this and why I begged on the streets for money. They don't realise that people segregate us from society because of which earning a livelihood is difficult. If we want to travel, auto drivers aren't ready to take us and people never want to sit beside us on public transport. That is where the inspiration to help our community came from," she told ANI.
She added that help was taken from the Montfort Social Institute (MSI) under their 'rainbow initiative' and that they helped them in the work that they wanted to do.

"We first started with ginger and garlic paste and now we are doing pickle and papad and slowly trying to expand our business. Other trans women have also been inspired by us and have come forward to help," she said.
"I would like to give a message to the rest of society that we have come forward to support ourselves, no we need the support of other people to take this forward. We request people to purchase our product, which will not only support the business but also the trans community," she added. (ANI)