Meet Padma Lakshmi: Kerala’s First Transgender Lawyer

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People who identify themselves as trans or gender diverse are often subjected to discrimination or levels of violence in such a way that can offend the human conscience at all levels. Be it getting rejected by family and pushed to the streets, getting bullied at schools or being denied access to employment, they are always at risk of violence, abuse, and maltreatment because of their gender.

These heinous acts are actually the manifestation of deeply embedded prejudice, stigma and irrational hatred and a type of gender-based violence, which is driven by an intention to punish those people who defy gender norms, says the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

However, the pressure of managing gender identities in the social setting is slowly diminishing and it is a pivotal path towards development.

Recently, Kerala got its first transgender lawyer Padma Lakshmi who is enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of the state. This makes her one of the 1,529 law graduates who were handed over the Bar enrolment certificate at an event on 19 March 2023.

According to the report from the agencies, the state's industries minister P Rajeev took to Instagram and shared Padma Lakshmi's image to congratulate, encourage and appreciate her achievements and said she will inspire more people from the transgender community to enter the legal profession. He wrote (translated from Malayalam to English), 'Congratulations to Padma Lakshmi who overcame all the hurdles of life and enrolled as the first transgender advocate in Kerala. Becoming the first is always the hardest achievement in history. There are no predecessors on the way to the goal. Obstacles will be inevitable. There will be people to mute and discourage. Padmalakshmi has written her name in the legal history by overcoming all this.'

Further he added that, 'Padmalakshmi's paths have convinced them on which side to stand in the fight for justice. That is why Padmalakshmi's words are so sharp that in the journey ahead, the aim is to become the voice of the denied justice with the power of law. May Padmalakshmi's life inspire more people from the transgender sector to enter advocacy. Once again congratulations to Padmalakshmi and the 1528 advocates enrolled yesterday.'

Padma Lakshmi is a Physics graduate and also pursued LLB from Ernakulam Government Law College. After her practice she aims to crack judicial service exams.