Impact of COVID-19 on the Transgender Community in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh: Some Observations.

Tirupati is a big pilgrimage centre in Andhra Pradesh, India. Various kinds of people were coming over here for their survival. Likewise, approximately 300 transgender are residing here. These transgender are the most vulnerable and marginalized people in society. Most of them are school dropouts because they are evicted by their parents and ostracized by society. Due to these reasons, they were pushed into poverty. Attributable to Covid-19, the Government of India has announced a countrywide lockdown from March 23rd, 2020, which it would be extended up to May 31st, 2020, into four phases. During the first phase of the lockdown (21 days) itself, transgender realized the world’s grave contagious situation of coronavirus and got panicked. In the second phase (19 days), all community members collected their earnings, spent money on cooking food, and distributed it to the migrant poor labourers and beggars, revealing their humanity. Later they came to know the wide prevalence of the virus, and they did not expect the extension of the second phase of the lockdown. And finally, whatever the small savings they have earned through the begging, their jewellery and everything have all gone, and no money is left in their hands. Due to the lockdown, they restricted themselves from stepping out of their homes and ultimately lost their livelihood. Consequently, they developed health problems due to the impoverishment risks, health-related issues, and depression that went into miserable conditions. Ultimately, the situation came that they seek help from others. Transgender people are already born as misfortune, and this coronavirus added to rubbing salt on their wounds.