Marriage Plans For Civil Servant Transgender After Post-Decriminalized 377

The LGBTQ community is celebrating as their life- both in and out of the bedroom is not ruled by the decriminalized Section 377.

And now a civil servant transgender is planning her marriage ceremony.

Odisha’s first transgender government servant plans to marry her live-in partner after hearing the decriminalization of Section 377.

Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan said as the Supreme Court has struck down Section 377, it should soon sign its approval on same-sex marriage, inheritance of property in accordance with the right to equality.

“Now marriage is confined to male and female only. The court needs to empower citizens like us to legally marry the man whom we love, adore and respect. It’s a matter of time only. The apex court would be kind enough to confer these rights to us,” she said.

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34-year-old Aishwarya is Odisha’s first transgender state civil servant. Formerly known as Ratikanta Pradhan, Aishwarya passed the 2010 Odisha Public Service Commission Exam. She is now posted as the  Commercial Tax Officer (CTO) in Paradip.

“The Apex court ruling dated April 15, 2014, recognising the transgender under the third gender category and guaranteeing their constitutional rights was a shot in the arm for me. I had made up my mind to opt for third gender identity instead of male gender and written to the state government. Only last year, I have been recognised officially as transgender on all official records,” she said.

Aishwarya said “We all are eagerly waiting for the implementation of special marriage act or a new law for LGBTQ community. I have a boyfriend. We nurture the hope that we will marry soon. We will wait for the apex court’s favourable ruling in this regard. I have a dream of my own a happy family with my life partner. I have resolved to adopt an orphan girl child following the marriage.”

Aishwarya, a native of obscure Kanabagiri village under G Udaygiri block in Odisha’s Kandhamal district is an MA in public administration and also a post-graduate diploma from Indian Institute of mass communication. Her father served in the army. She did an internship with a national daily before opting for a clerk job in a nationalised bank. Later she had cracked the state civil services examination.

“Gender identity has not posed any sort of hindrances in discharging responsibilities and duties assigned to me. The general public is appreciative of my work. They all like and respect me. I never felt belittled being a third-gender,” she said.