Friday, May 11, 2012

The brutal murder of transgender Anil Sadanandan of Kerala, India

by Rev. Steve Parelli, Bronx, NY, May 11, 2012

Yesterday afternoon (on May 10, 2012) I received the following disturbing email: 

Anil Sadanandan, transgender
of Kerala, India, recently
murdered
I am very upset, sad and shocked…. about the brutal murder of Sweet Maria / Anil Sadanandan (Facebook profile) my friend and queer activist, at his quarters, Kollam. He/She was a vibrant, pleasant, very active and visible person, spreading a lot of positive energy around, approachable to community members of all strata. He was courage enough to express and establish his/her marginalized and stigmatized identity in every walk of life and in every space he traversed. He dared to face the challenges posed by the intolerant society which normally pushes gays, lesbians or any body, who even slightly differs from the main stream, to the limit of committing suicide. He faced such a society holding his head high, living his life fully standing out for the rights of the fellow queer. And he fell victim to that….very shocking. We will miss you dear in all our future fights……

          CHILLA, House No.16/238, Mundakkal,                                           
          Karakulam.P.O.,Thiruvananthapuram,Keralam,India,
                Web: www.anannia.org
                Blog: www.chillaindia.weebly.com
                Email: chillaindia@yahoo.com

Anil Sadanandan, transgender,
looking at Jose Ortiz (on
left)
My husband Jose Ortiz and I (Rev. Steve Parelli) met Anil Sadanandan last summer in Trivundrum, Kerala, India, briefly at a seminar we conducted for Kerala University students.  Anil was at the hall early, before the event. He was smiling, up-beat and talkative.  He offered me his help in organizing the handouts on a table and then  placing them on the the individual chairs in the room.  He talked about himself and the activism in which he was involved.  He was very friendly and easily likable.  The pictures that follow clearly express how winsome he was. 

The individual above (Chilla), who emailed us this sad news, worked with Trivantrum Theological Forum in the translation of the book The Children Are Free.  We met him in 2010 upon our first trip to Kerala.  We sympathize with him upon the loss of his dear transgender friend.   We grieve that there are those in this world who out of whatever fear, misunderstanding, and hate would take the life of an LGBT person.

The three pictures that follow (as well as the above two pictures) - all of Anil Sadanandan, were taken by Steve Parelli on July 18, 2011, Kerala, India:








3 comments:

Fr John Weir said...

So many people are hurting and shocked by Anil’s death that I call to mind the events at the burial of the Ugandan activist David Kato. The pastor railed against the LGBT community and David’s friends and refused to bury David in consecrate...d ground. At that David’s friends bravely claimed the coffin and carried it themselves to the graveside where an Anglican bishop, himself removed from Episcopal office for his support of the LGBT community, took the burial service with great spirituality and dignity. These were his words,
“ You may be different from me. Myself, I am straight. I am not LGBT but I have known these people who are LGBT I respect them for what they are and I believe they are going to heaven. Like you others they are going to heaven. If they don’t believe, then that is another matter. But if they are believers, don’t be discouraged. I know that people have been discouraged even not going to church because they are being abused, as I have found today, people are abusing them. Please don’t be discouraged. God created you. God is on your side. And God, this is the Gospel that I am preaching!”
Sometimes even bishops talk sense!
Dear friends, . Let our love be genuine. Hate what is evil and hold fast to what is good. Love one another with a brotherly and sisterly affection. Be patient in tribulation and constant in prayer…
(words from Romans12:9 following…) Fr John , London
See More
Rachel Maddow - The Murder Of David Kato
www.youtube.com
Rachel links the murder of Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato to American religious right hatemongers Scott Lively & a Richard Cohen staffer who went toUganda on mission
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Anonymous said...

Hi,
I know Anil and his family personally,actually he was killed by his gay partners because they suspect that Anil/Maria is an AIDS patient and he hide the truth from his partners.

Anonymous said...

http://www.asianage.com/india/rage-hiv-infection-led-anil-s-murder-462

Please read this article and no one kills gays in Kerala.