Each word of Kalki Subramaniam's poetry comes from her heart like an arrow from a bow, it shoots rage against gender injustice, the poems are powerful, sarcastic, and challenging, and show the pride in the writer in her identity as a transgender woman.
From transgender people's lives to climate issues, her Tamil poems are deep, and heart-touching and would leave an impact on the reader for many days after reading the book. I interviewed Kalki in 2014 and asked her what she thinks about the present situation of transgender women in the Indian society in general: "It is sure changing for better in some states like Tamilnadu and Karnataka. However, many states of India still are not safe places for transgender people to live, for example, Kerala.
The state has 100% literacy but has 0% tolerance when it comes to accepting transgender people and allowing them to live a dignified life. India still has a long way to go in recognizing transgender people’s rights. I believe it will happen for sure in the coming years."
According to her website, Kalki Subramaniam is a celebrated Indian transgender activist, artist, entrepreneur, poet, actor and inspirational speaker. Kalki is the founder of Sahodari Foundation, an organization that works for Indian transgender population through its powerful and innovative art projects. She was born in Pollachi, a beautiful town in Tamilnadu, India.
Being a champion of transgender rights in India, Kalki has spoken over to a million students across India and is well known for her relentless activism. She was one of the prominent activists who lobbied for the recognition of legal rights for transgender people and was one among the activists responsible in the milestone victory in 2014 when the Supreme court of India finally recognized the transgender community’s civil rights in the country. Kalki has received several awards for her contribution towards transgender rights.
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