Kerala gets first transgender person as lawyer in Advocate Padma Laxmi

Kerala gets its first transgender advocate Padma Laxmi enrolled with the Bar Council of Kerala on Sunday, March 19

Kerala got its first transgender advocate Padma Laxmi enrolled with the Bar Council of Kerala on Sunday, March 19.

A Transwoman, Padma Lakshmi was handed over her Bar enrolment certificate at an event organised by the Bar Council of Kerala on Sunday, March 19. Padma Lakshmi completed her graduation from Ernakulam Government Law College.

Kerala's Law Minister, P Rajeev took to Instagram to share a congratulatory post for Lakshmi.

"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. Padma Lakshmi has written her name in the legal history by overcoming all this." P Rajeev wrote in his Instagram post.

Kerala was the first state in India to bring in a state policy for transgenders. The policy was announced by Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson at the ‘International Conference on Gender Equality’ in Kovalam on November 12, 2015.
 

The 'State policy for transgenders in Kerala 2015' was the first of its kind in India when the state government introduced it. The state rolled out this policy to ensure equal access to different services and resources throughout the state to the transgender community, and protect them from harassment.
 

Sathyasri Sharmila became the first transgender lawyer in India in 2018. Joyita Mondal became first India's first transgender judge in 2017 in West Bengal.