New Delhi: Sruthy Sithara became the first Indian to win Miss Trans Global 2021, a Pageant that celebrates trans activism across the globe. While the physical event, which was supposed to be held in London, was cancelled due to pandemics, the title was recently conferred in an online event.
Sithara has been competing in this pageant for the last six months. Sithara, who is a Kerala native, is one of the four transgender persons to have been offered a government job. The 25-year-old has worked as project assistance with the Kerala government in Social Justice Department.
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In a congratulatory tweet, Kerala's minister of higher education Dr R Bindu said: "Keralite Sruthy Sithara has been selected as Miss Trans Global 2021, a title she achieved after a long fight against prejudices galore and the narrow mindset of our society. A matter of immense pride for Kerala. Congratulations Sruthy."
In an Instagram post, Sithara dedicated the award to her mother, who died in 2015 and "Anannyah Chechi", who killed herself earlier this year, after months of pain, bleeding and disfigurement of her private parts due to "botched" gender confirmation surgery.
"Proud at it's peak. I am dedicating this to my Amma & Anannyah chechi, I'm sure both are witnessing this moment from heaven. Thank you so much all who are behind this successful journey. Lots of love to my mentor," she wrote as a caption to her image on her Instagram page.
Sithara was followed by the contestants from the Philippines and Canada. At the competition, she introduced herself as a model and an actor. In her audition tape for Miss Trans Global 2021, she said as quoted by The New Indian Express, "this title will help me in leading and inspiring life with self-esteem, pride and dignity, not just for me, but for a crowd of people who hide their faces under the shades of the rainbow. I want to show the world that we are capable of doing everything that a human does."