At the age of 12, Akkai Padmashali, troubled by her gender identity, grappled with suicide. Luckily, life had other things in store and today, she has emerged as the face of transgender welfare in the state, the first transgender to win the Rajyotsava Award. The state government's approval of the transgender policy, with which she has a long history, is a definite feather in her cap. To her, it marks the start of the transgender's journey into mainstream society, one marked by hardship and moments of despair. She tells Ralph Alex Arakal her story. A male to female transgender who decided to kill herself at the age of 12, Akkai Padmashali has risen to be the face of the transgender...
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