The Chennai Trans Kitchen was inaugurated on 25th Street, GKM Colony, Kolathur, yesterday.
What’s it about? The Trans Kitchen is an effort to create trans-inclusive spaces in the city and improve the socio-economic lives of transgender people. The kitchen’s food and business operations will be looked after by a team of 10 transwomen and transmen. They will offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes from South Indian and Chinese cuisines.
- United Way of Chennai, Swasti, and the Transgender Rights Association set up the unit by partnering with HSBC Global Service Centres. The workers will earn ₹12,000 to ₹15,000 per month. After Coimbatore and Madurai, this is the third unit to open in Tamil Nadu.
- With requests pouring in from districts like Salem and Ramanathapuram, the organisations aim to open multiple units across the city and at least one in every district.
Food for thought: Both the organisers and the kitchen team have taken a step towards creating new opportunities for transpeople in the food sector, along with providing secure jobs and reliable incomes.
- They hope that the unit will make the community more visible, facilitate inter-community conversations, and put an end to social prejudices.
- Sanjana, one of the team members, wants to lead by example and hopes that the initiative will encourage other trans people to follow suit.