Tamil Nadu Govt Releases Glossary To Better Address LGBTQIA+ Community

In a first-of-its-kind move, the Tamil Nadu government has published a glossary of LGBTQIA+ terms in Tamil to address the people of the LGBTQIA+ community correctly. This move was suggested by the Madras High Court.

The High Court had instructed the government to compile a list of terms in Tamil for the media to use, so that derogatory references to the people of the LGBTQIA+ community can stop.

On Tuesday, the Additional Advocate-General representing the state government told Justice N Ananth Venkatesh that the glossary was published in the Tamil Nadu government gazette of the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment department on August 20 this year.

LGBTQIA+ Terms Glossary

The LGBTQIA+ glossary includes terms like ‘Thirunambi’ (transgender man), ‘Paal Puthumaiyar’ (queer), ‘Oodupal’ (intersex), etc.

C Moulee, co-founder of the Queer Chennai Chronicles (QCC) and someone who has been working on Tamil LGBTQIA+ terms for a while said that, "It is great to see that the Social Welfare department has largely adapted the glossary prepared by us." He added, "I hope the glossary will be updated frequently, as the language of LGBTQIA+ people is continuously evolving".

Member of Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission, and Bharatanatyam artiste Narthaki Nataraj, who was also part of the team that finalised the TN government’s glossary, said that, "As the word ‘Thirunangai’ was made respectable and popular, these words also should reach everyone, and the media plays an important role in it."

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Not The First Version Of LGBTQIA+ Glossary

Initially another LGBTQ+ glossary was submitted by the state to the Madras High Court in February 2022. But it was considered highly problematic by several people of the LGBTQIA+ communities. Moulee said that “The first glossary prepared by the Social Welfare department with no community involvement was completely unacceptable,” according to the Scroll. Then Justice Anand Venkatesh decided to publish a queer-led glossary made by QCC, TNM, Orinam and others in his order. He asked the government to use that as the base for their final list of terms.

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Moulee said that he appreciates how the government has adopted the glossary prepared by the community. “Now, the government has adapted the glossary that was prepared by the community, and we appreciate this,” Moulee says.

The move has been implemented with an attempt to ensure a dignified and respectable space for the LGBTQIA+ community.

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